SHARE
COPY LINK

FOOTBALL

Football fan dies in Dortmund stadium

A 21-year-old football fan fell to his death Wednesday evening at Dortmund's famous Westfalen stadium just before a Germany Cup qualifier, police in the German state of North Rhine-Westphalia reported.

Football fan dies in Dortmund stadium
Westfalen statium in Dortmund. Photo: DPA

“According to the current status of the investigation, witnesses say the young man fell seven metres trying to climb over a handrail near the entrance to the block 13 section of the stands,” police said in a statement on Thursday.

The Olfen man, who was under the influence of alcohol, sustained serious head injuries and died in the hospital shortly after the fall, police said. Investigators will now conduct an autopsy.

Some 73,000 fans were at the game to see Werder Bremen beat Borussia Dortmund 2:1, and most didn’t find out about the tragic death until after the match, daily Bild reported.

“The man was bleeding out of his ears first, then from his nose,” one witness told the paper. “He had a cut on his head. The paramedics were there immediately.”

After the game fans placed a pennant where the man fell, the paper reported.

RACISM

VIDEO: Spain’s La Liga reviews video of boy racially abusing Vinicius

Spain's La Liga on Monday said it was reviewing a video of a child making racist insults towards Real Madrid forward Vinicius Junior during the 2-2 draw with Valencia at the weekend.

VIDEO: Spain's La Liga reviews video of boy racially abusing Vinicius

“We’re in the process of studying and analysing the facts from a legal standpoint to see what we can and should do,” La Liga sources said.

In a video published by a journalist for ESPN Brasil, and picked up by Spanish media, a boy sitting in a woman’s lap can be heard calling Vinicius a “monkey”.

The Brazilian scored twice for Madrid as his team recovered from two goals down at Mestalla on Saturday.

Vinicius raised his fist in a “Black Power” salute after the first of his two goals at a ground where he was racially abused last season. Valencia subsequently banned three people from the stadium for life.

The 23-year-old has become a symbol of the fight against discrimination in Spanish football after suffering racist abuse on many occasions, and he was jeered repeatedly by home supporters on Saturday.

Jude Bellingham was sent off after the final whistle against Valencia for protesting after the referee blew the final whistle right before the England midfielder headed home what he thought was the winning goal.

READ ALSO: Football star Vinicius highlights racist behaviour from Spanish fans

SHOW COMMENTS