On Thursday, 9 January 2025, the DFB’s sporting court, chaired by Stephan Oberholz, heard the appeal by VfL Bochum against the result of the Bundesliga match against 1. FC Union Berlin, which was played at the Stadion An der Alten Försterei on 14 December 2024.

The game was interrupted for several minutes in stoppage time after a lighter thrown from the standing section grazed the Bochum goalkeeper's head. After consulting with the sporting directors of both sides, as well as with the security officers, referee Martin Petersen had decided that there were no grounds for abandoning the game. The match was continued with a ‘non-aggression pact’ agreed between the two sides and was finally ended by the referee with the result 1-1.

However, after several hours of proceedings, the sporting court revised this result, upholding VfL Bochum's appeal. VfL Bochum have therefore been awarded a 2-0 win.

“This verdict goes against our legal opinion that the game was properly ended after the referee’s decision with the 1-1 scoreline, and that there are no circumstances that could justify the DFB court’s changing of the result,” said Christian Arbeit, Managing Director of Communications at 1. FC Union Berlin. “We will decide on how to proceed once the written verdict has been submitted.”

1. FC Union Berlin have the option of appealing to the DFB federal court against the decision of the DFB’s sporting court within one week.