2 trials, 7 perpetrators

Rioting at Graz city derbies: trials begin

Many fans went completely crazy at the derbies(Bild: Pail Sepp)

A total of seven Sturm fans will go on trial in Graz next week. On the one hand, the Cup derby scandal from November 2023 will be dealt with, and on the other, two "blacks" who allegedly cut police surveillance camera cables at the Bundesliga derby in October last year will have to answer for their actions. 

Soccer will be the focus of the Graz Regional Criminal Court next week, confirms spokeswoman Barbara Schwarz. At least its unsightly offside incidents. On Wednesday, five men - three Styrians (29, 33, 25), a student from Vienna (20) and a Bosnian (36) with several previous convictions - will appear before a panel of lay judges. They are said to have stormed the GAK sectors with around 30 other masked Sturm fans at the ÖFB Cup derby in the Merkur Arena on November 2, 2023 and attacked the opposing fans who were preparing their choreography. Some rioters took the opportunity to storm a mobile fan store, stealing fan merchandise and scaring young female sales clerks almost to death.

"Reds" were attacked with punches and kicks and pelted with dustbins, trays, mustard and ketchup tubes. One GAK supporter was hit particularly hard: He was beaten up so badly that he suffered a basilar skull fracture and was left unconscious. When the red fans retaliated, their opponents - including an ex-teacher - retreated and climbed over a fence. The teacher fell over the parapet into the stadium ditch.

Police cameras in the fan sector cut off
A Styrian (21) and a Viennese (31) already had to answer for their actions on Tuesday. There were no physical assaults at the Bundesliga derby between the Graz city clubs on October 19, 2024. However, some Sturm fans caused a short circuit in the surveillance camera system by driving up with a lifting crane and cutting the cables of the police cameras in the north curve, says Hansjörg Bacher from the Graz public prosecutor's office. Damage: 8790 euros.