The German Federal Court of Justice (BGH) confirmed in a ruling on Thursday that German football clubs can be fined by their fans’ misbehavior during matches.
As Germany’s highest court, the BGH confirmed that the nation’s football governing body German Football Association (DFB) can keep clubs responsible for their fans’ behavior before, during and after games in stadiums.
According to the BGH, the sanctions are completely preventive measures, mentioning that the current DFB practice did not violate any fundamental principles of the legal system.
It is said that fan organizations hoped there would be an end to such collective punishment, which gave rise to a long-lasting dispute between them and the DFB.
