Bundesliga: Historic Berlin derby interrupted by fans throwing flares

Bundesliga’s historic Berlin derby, which was the first in 42 years, was overshadowed by crowd trouble on Saturday. The game had to be stopped after flares were thrown on to the pitch by Union Berlin supporters, who invaded the playing surface to confront Hertha Berlin’s players. Sebastian Polter's 87th-minute penalty for Union Berlin - the first club from East Berlin to reach the Bundesliga - earned a famous win over rivals Hertha.

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Fans were undoubtedly pumped for the Berlin Derby between city rivals Union and Hertha on Saturday, but their excitement caused a delay during the match. As part of their celebration, fans were waving flares in the stands. However, within five minutes of the second half, fans threw a few flares onto the pitch amid the smoke filling Stadion An der Alten Försterei. One flare landed on the midfield and another fell near Union Berlin's bench. The players began to clear off the turf and play was temporarily stopped.

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The match had historical significance

This was the first match between the rivals in the top-flight competition since the fall of the Berlin Wall in December 1989, which allowed access between West Berlin and East Berlin for the first time in almost three decades. The Berlin derby delivered much of the expected hype for most of the match until it lost its sheen to the unruly reaction of certain fans, which affected the players as well. 

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Hertha has since condemned the incident and said in an official statement that the club dissociated itself from the scenes that overshadowed the derby.

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