Safety concerns: Dynamo Dresden canceled the test game against Belgrade!

Safety concerns: Dynamo Dresden canceled the test game against Belgrade!

Dresden, Deutschland - On March 20, 1991, the encounter between Dynamo Dresden and Red Stern Belgrade in the European Cup shocked for German football fans. But what happened back then has thrown his shadows to this day. The game, which was canceled in the 78th minute at 1: 2, turned out to be a dramatic escalation in which hooligans from the fan curve plunged order into chaos. After the game of the game, Dresden experienced a violent incident that shook not only the players, but also the audience. Line judges and Yugoslav players were brutally attacked while the police hesitated. In this incident, not only the sporting fate of Dynamo Dresden was sealed, but also the reputation of football in Germany suffered enormously. Among other things, this tragedy led to Dynamo was blocked for two European cup play times, as Meyview.

Today, 34 years after the memorable meeting, the wounds have healed, but the memories remain alive. In the training camp in Windischgarsten, Austria, the request for a test game between the two teams was on the table. Red Stern Belgrade wanted to use this historical framework, but Dynamo Dresden's sports director Thomas Brendel decided that it was better for security reasons to reject the game. There are concerns about possible fan accumulations and the dangerous past that is in this duel. Assistant coach Heiko Scholz, who was at the time as a player in the field, emphasizes that the 1991 events are never completely forgotten. Hooligans from all over Germany were set to cause unrest, as well as picture describes.

A look at the story

For many fans, European football is more than just a game; It is part of identity. The game of March 20 ’91 is a good example of how deep fan passion is rooted and can turn into violence. After the second leg in Dresden, the slogan "Revenge for Belgrade" appeared, which illustrates how much emotions and rival fan bearings can lead to a dangerous mix. Such incidents are not new; Hooliganism had already increased in many European stadiums in the 1980s, accompanied by a decline in the number of spectators and an increased criminalized perception of football. During this time there were several tragic events that questioned the security in stadiums, such as the incident in the Heysel Stadium in 1985, which demanded 39 fatalities, or the Hillsborough tragedy in 1989 with 96 dead [BPB] (https://www.bpb.de/shop/zeitschratzen/izpb/fussball- Mehrs-als-ein-spiel-290/8777/Zuschauer-fans-und-hooligans/)

Although football has changed and should have become safer, the cancellation of the test game between Dynamo and Red Star reveals that the shadow of the past is still on the stadiums. This Saturday the team from Dresden will instead compete against SV Ried, a freshly baked first division climber. But the legacy of the 1991 game remains part of the story, and the dream of a 100th European Cup game continues in the heart of the Dynamo fans. These events show how deeply the emotions are rooted in sport and that it is important to learn from the past to make a more peaceful future.