No pitch-side entry for rowdy German officials
vatutinki — The German Football Association (DFB) on Monday said two team officials will not have access to the pitch at their final World Cup Group F match against South Korea after their “unsportsmanlike” behaviour in the game against Sweden.
Team media officer Ulrich Voigt and the director of the DFB office for the national team, Georg Behlau, had charged towards the Sweden bench pumping their fists when Toni Kroos’ stoppage-time goal gave Germany a 2-1 victory on Saturday.
The enraged Swedish coaching staff and reserve players then stood up and immediately confronted them, shoving them back towards their technical area.
The incident, which triggered an investigation by world soccer’s governing body Fifa, was a major embarrassment for the world champions and almost escalated into a wider physical altercation after Swedish officials pushed Behlau away. “Independent of the Fifa disciplinary commission’s decision, the DFB and the two colleagues in question want to make a clear point of having realised the impact of their unsportsmanlike behaviour and already today announce that they will have no function in the pitchside area at the next game of the German team,” the DFB said in a statement.
The DFB did not say whether they would resume their pitchside positions should the team advance to the knockout stage.
“The members of the support staff know that they have behaved incorrectly in an emotionally charged situation,” it said.
Fifa has yet to conclude its investigation and announce any possible sanctions against them that could include stripping their accreditation for the rest of the tournament and/or fining the DFB for their behaviour.
Both have since apologised to the Swedish team. —