Karlsruhe (dpa / lsw) - Second division soccer team Karlsruher SC has been fined 50,000 euros for the unsportsmanlike behavior of its supporters. The penalty was pronounced in a single-judge procedure by the sports court of the German Football Association, as the club announced on Monday. In the home game against FC St. Pauli in mid-November (4:4), several people were injured by the burning of pyrotechnics and the resulting smoke. The game was also kicked off later.
The KSC had not approved the first criminal complaint by the DFB control committee, which had provided for a fine in the six-digit range. "We are clearly distancing ourselves from what happened back then and condemning it," said KSC Managing Director Michael Becker. Immediately after the incident, the club said it evaluated its security management, derived additional measures and implemented them since the start of the second half of the season in January.
"We are still in regular contact with the investigative authorities, but also with the organized fan scene, in order to process the incidents. The KSC welcomes the fact that these efforts were recognized and accordingly taken into account in the final judgment of the DFB sports court. Nevertheless, remains for end up with a very high fine," said Becker.
