– Around 300 Leipzig fans went to the Wankdorf stadium
Before the Champions League game against YB, Leipzig fans held a fan march through Bern. We reported live.
Published today at 3:09 p.m. Updated 2 minutes ago
It’s all about this:
YB will play against RB Leipzig in the group stage of the Champions League today at 6:45 p.m.
Leipzig fans announced a fan march through Bern with 1,500 people taking part on Tuesday afternoon.
In fact, only around 300 Leipzig fans showed up in Bern.
The fan march was peaceful.
5:38 p.m
This concludes this live ticker for the RB Leipzig fan march through Bern. The Champions League group game between the Young Boys and RB Leipzig will kick off in around an hour at the Wankdorf Stadium. We report live here.
Thank you for your attention!
5:34 p.m
In Switzerland, all YB Champions League games can be followed on Blue. Not so in France: French football fans look into the tube at YB games. The reason for this is YB jersey sponsor “Plus 500”.
In France, the company was classified as a “risky financial product” by the consumer authority, as the “Blick» reported. In this context, the YB jersey is considered “inadmissible, prohibited advertising” in France, which is why the broadcaster Bein Sports is not legally allowed to show the YB games.
YB CEO Wanja Greuel only told “Blick” that “Plus 500” has been a loyal and reliable partner for years and that its activities are strictly regulated.
In France, YB’s Champions League games are not shown on television. Reason: The Bernese jersey sponsor.
Photo: Alessandro della Valle (Keystone)
4:47 p.m
Another fun fact from downtown Bern: To get an idea of the situation, Bern’s security director Reto Nause (Die Mitte) went among the Leipzig fans before the fan march on Waisenhausplatz – and wore a YB fan scarf, like the Keystone-sda news agency writes. He remained unmolested.
4:44 p.m
The Leipzig fans have now arrived at the stadium in front of the entrance to the guest sector. The rest of the fan march went off without incident; traffic was only minimally affected and is now back to normal.
Now the Leipzig fans are waiting to be admitted to the away fan sector.
Photo: Jürg Spori
4:28 p.m
A little YB news in between: The match day flags are a much-seen balcony accessory in the city and agglomeration of Bern. But the flag is also raised in high alpine regions when things get serious for the Young Boys.
For example at the Dossenhütte at 2,663 meters above sea level. There, hut warden David Doubt is keeping his fingers crossed for the Young Boys for the start of the Champions League, the club writes on X (formerly Twitter).
4:23 p.m
During the march, the fans are confident of victory in view of the upcoming game in the Champions League group phase against YB.
Fan chant by the Leipzig supporters during the fan march in Bern.
Video: Jürg Spori
4:06 p.m
Irritating incident: On the edge of the fan march, at the height of the Bärner Brocki, a young man shouts incomprehensible words against the fan march. He is holding a knife in his hand. Suddenly he runs away, with about six police officers running after him.
4:02 p.m
As the Leipzig fans move towards the stadium on the Nordring, they meet a courageous school class in the Lorraine district. “Hopp YB, hopp YB!” the children scream loudly and repeatedly at the Germans. The people of Leipzig have to smile at least from the young YB fans.
3:58 p.m
A representative of the RB Leipzig fans says that most fans are still sightseeing in the city and will not come to the stadium until around 5:15 p.m., when the away sector opens. However, the 1,500 tickets in the guest sector are sold out.
Why did so few fans come to the march? According to fan work, many Leipzig supporters would rather stay in downtown Bern a little longer than take part in the march.
Foto: Beat Mathys
3:48 p.m
The fans walk across the Lorraine Bridge, half of which is closed to traffic in the direction of Lorraine. Since the fan march is limited to around 300 people, the traffic closure is short-lived; after a few minutes the bridge is accessible again on both sides.
The Leipzig fans on the Bern Nordring, shortly after the Lorraine Bridge: Considering that relatively few fans take part in the march, they sing quite loudly.
Video: Christian Häderli
3:41 p.m
“Hurray, hurrah, the people of Leipzig are here!” With this call, the fan march starts moving. First the entourage moves through Aarbergergasse.
So the Leipzig fans march through Aarbergergasse.
Video: Sarah Buser
Manageable group: The Leipzig fans at the bulwark.
Foto: Beat Mathys
3:34 p.m
Alf Höpner moved to Leipzig in 2005 and has been a fan of RB Leipzig since it was founded in 2009. He never misses a home game, and now he has also fulfilled a long dream: last night he traveled by bus to Bern for his first international game.
Alf Höpner has been a Leipzig fan since the very beginning.
Foto: Beat Mathys
This morning at 6 a.m. Höpner’s coach arrived in Bern. The Leipzig fan then visited the city and treated himself to a few beers. Now he is on the Waisenhausplatz and in a few moments he will be running into the stadium with the fans. This evening after the game he will be on the bus back to Germany.
3:28 p.m
Now around 200 to 300 fans line up neatly. They wait for the signal so that the march can begin.
3:21 p.m
There is movement on Waisenhausplatz. A young man with a megaphone in his hand shouts: “Boys, we’re lining up!” About 50 young and older men form up, but many are still sitting under the gazebos and in the surrounding restaurants.
The megaphone man then announces: “To all Leipzig fans: We want to start running at 3:30 p.m. Please come forward a bit!”
The seated fans slowly get up from their chairs and the steps and stand behind the fans in the front row who have called for them to line up.
3:20 p.m
“We will be on duty with a police force,” writes Thomas Ernst, media spokesman for the Bern cantonal police, when asked. “We are constantly monitoring the situation during today’s football game and will make adjustments to our arrangements if necessary.”
It is not possible to comment in advance on future developments regarding a football game. In the past there have been riots at RB Leipzig games. But: “We are assuming a peaceful football evening and will work towards one.”
3:13 p.m
There are many fans in the restaurants and bars around Waisenhausplatz, recognizable by their red and white T-shirts with the Red Bull logo printed on them. They are waiting for the fan march to start.
Waiting for the fan march: Leipzig fans on Bern’s Bundesplatz.
Photo: Jürg Spori
3:11 p.m
The police announced over a loudspeaker system that the fan march would head towards Aarbergergasse, continue over the Lorraine Bridge and from there towards Wankdorf.
3:04 p.m
Around 1,500 German fans were actually expected at the fan march through Bern. At 3 p.m., the fan march in downtown Bern remains relatively manageable:
Around 50 fans, mostly young men, stream onto Waisenhausplatz. Many wear black clothing. A fan assures that most of the fans are peaceful, but a few, including some of the fans who have arrived, like to light a flare every now and then and do not want to be photographed. This is confirmed; they react aggressively when a photographer pulls out the camera.
Shortly before 3 p.m., around 50 Leipzig fans gathered at Bern’s Waisenhausplatz.
Foto: Beat Mathys
2:58 p.m
In order to make the stay in Bern as pleasant as possible for fans traveling from eastern Germany, the fan club has collected practical information for fans in a 16-page guide.
Among other things, it says: “Even if there is a police station right on Waisenhausplatz (so you should behave), the atmosphere there is always relaxed and peaceful.”
2:57 p.m
The Bern cantonal police warned last Thursday of traffic disruptions and short-term road closures in the Wankdorf area. Papiermühlestrasse will temporarily be completely closed in both directions before and after the football game.
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2023-09-19 15:48:46
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