After losing 6-0 to Augsburg, Darmstadt players and coach silently listen to a scolding from a fan angry with the team’s performance
Currently, the Darmstadt is last placed and is an impressive 12 points away from the first team outside the relegation zone in Bundesliga. To make the crisis experienced by the German club even worse, they were beaten at their own home, the Stadion am Böllenfalltor6-0 by Augsburg in this weekend. After the embarrassment, the players and the coaching staff ended up being scolded on the field by one of the team’s fans. And they listened in silence.
In a scene that drew a lot of attention from around the world after the defeat, a leader of the team’s organized fans jumped onto the field and started arguing with the athletes. Torsten Lieberknecht, the team’s coach, followed the entire dialogue alongside his players. Everyone listened in silence to what the fan had to say.
The moment was captured by cameras broadcasting the match. The scolding lasted about two minutes, with everyone listening without saying anything. In statements reproduced by “Kicker” magazine, Rüdiger Fritschpresident of Darmstadt, revealed that the conversation was actually positive. “One of the ultras joined the team and expressed a few things. It was an exchange of ideas, an exchange of opinions. It was positive. There was a positive atmosphere and it could be good in the long term. The cohesion of Darmstadt 98 will return”commented the agent.
“They were emotional words and, in a way, clear. It was zero percent aggressive. I know aggression in a completely different way. Nothing bad. It was absolutely good (…). It was with great respect. We didn’t deserve it, I have to be honest. They could have insulted us. I would have accepted anything, because we were not worthy of wearing this shirt today.”said the goalkeeper Marcel Schuhen.
The club has only two wins in the 24 matches it has played in the Bundesliga. The team is in its fifth participation in the German first division, returning to the elite last year, after six seasons in the second division. The next duel will be against the powerful RB Leipzig. It remains to be seen whether the conversation will have any effect in the quest to escape relegation.
Source: sportbuzz
I am William Jackson and I have a passion for sports journalism. With over 3 years of experience in the industry, I have worked in a variety of roles to improve the quality and accuracy of sports news coverage. As an author at Athletistic, I specialize in covering football news and providing comprehensive analysis for fans around the world.
