Dirty comedy?

After scandalous match: DFB declares Bochum the winners

Patrick Drewes was hit by an object and went down.(Bild: Sky (Screenshot))

After a lighter was thrown at Bochum goalkeeper Patrick Drewes, the German Bundesliga match between 1. FC Union Berlin and VfL Bochum was awarded 2:0 to the visiting team. 

This decision was made by the Sports Court of the German Football Association in Frankfurt/Main on Thursday, upholding the appeal of Bochum, who had appealed against the 1:1 scoreline. An appeal against the decision is still possible before the DFB Federal Court.

(Bild: GEPA pictures)

"Decisions at the green table are always the last resort, but here we are dealing with circumstances that hardly gave us any other option," explained the sports court. "We did not have the necessary evidence to conclude that Mr. Drewes had put on a special show or that there was a conspiracy or a comedy of convenience." The match was interrupted for more than 25 minutes shortly before the end on 14 December after Drewes was hit on the head by a lighter thrown from the Union block and had to leave the pitch.

Tension in the cellar
After the incident and the interruption by referee Martin Petersen, the game was continued and finished without Drewes and under protest by the visitors. As Bochum had already exhausted their quota of substitutes, attacker Philipp Hofmann went into goal for a short time. Both teams then merely passed the ball back and forth to end the match. Bottom club Bochum now have eight points in the table and are just two points behind 16th place in the relegation places.