Today: Something happens in the stands at Frankfurt’s home match against VfB in September that should be normal – but certainly isn’t.
That the average match Eintracht Frankfurt vs. VfB Stuttgart on Matchday 4 ended with an average 1:1, I remember pretty well, everything else I had to recall a good three months later: oh yes, Kostic’s goal as a joker, that’s right, Anton’s sending off, that’s right, Marmoush’s VfB goal debut just before the final whistle.
One scene, on the other hand, that I remember very clearly because it wasn’t so average, took place in the stands, sometime when the score was still 0-0. Three young VfB fans were sitting there, making every effort to annoy their surroundings. Only when they were getting new beers – and they often did – did they refrain from bawling aggressively or maltreating the seats. Once, one of the three even pushed another of the three headfirst onto the empty row in front of them as a joke.
Finally it got too much for a neighbour in the stands, but the occasion was different: one of the drunken trio had apparently made a monkey sound to top it all off.
And so this angry Eintracht supporter stood up in front of the rowdies and gave them a short, but all the louder lecture about racism: about how you can be drunk, but there is never an excuse for it, never. And that it was definitely not something that just slipped out.
He concluded by informing her of her good fortune that he was present with his children. Otherwise, he obviously would have thought of other consequences.
More valuable than any “No to racism” banner
It was a reaction that should be as normal as the result between Frankfurt and VfB, but certainly isn’t; and is presumably worth more than any “No to racism” banner.
Visibly impressed, the people who had been reprimanded became calmer and calmer after the lesson; in the meantime, another spectator had threatened the stewards. They did not stop fetching beer, but this time they at least brought one for their new acquaintances.
