Fans have to make do with sticker wars as Berlin’s big derby is played out at empty stadium

The unofficial Berlin derby has been going on for months, with fans of rival clubs Hertha and Union decorating the city’s lampposts, road signs, transit stops and more with stickers in their respective team colours.

The official derby is finally coming tonight, two months after the Bundesliga match between the local rivals was postponed because of the coronavirus outbreak.

The battle for sticker supremacy initially broke out after Union were promoted to the first division last May, but it escalated dramatically ahead of their second meeting of the season. The match was originally scheduled to be played at the Olympiastadion, Hertha’s home ground, on 21 March.

The postponement didn’t stop rival fans from attempting to paint the town blue and white (Hertha) or red and yellow (Union). If anything, it may have encouraged them because they had no other way to show their support. They still don’t. Tonight’s match will again be played in an empty stadium, just like every game last week when the Bundesliga resumed its season.

“It’s not the derby that we all were hoping for – in front of a sold-out house with all the fan groups,” Union defender Florian Hubner said in a video conference call. “It will be very different. But we as a team know exactly what’s at stake.” Normally, up to 75,000 fans would have attended the match.

The first derby between the teams in the top flight in November was marked by crowd disturbances in Union’s small stadium in the eastern borough of Kopenick. Hertha is based in the western part of the formerly divided city.

That game was suspended and almost called off after fireworks lit by Hertha fans landed on the field. Union players Rafal Gikiewicz, Keven Schlotterbeck and Christopher Lenz stopped their own mask-wearing fans from reaching their counterparts after the game, preventing the volatile situation from spiraling into violence.

About 1,100 police officers were on duty for the game, which Union won 1-0 after a last-minute penalty by Sebastian Polter.

The return match should be a lot quieter with no fans allowed in.

● A fourth player at Dynamo Dresden tested positive for the coronavirus yesterday. Dresden were due to play at Hannover last Sunday as German football resumed but couldn’t because the club were placed in quarantine. They are now scheduled to play on 31 May at home to Stuttgart.