Fortuna Düsseldorf is still on course for Bundesliga promotion. Today, the DFB’s “federal court” rejected Hertha’s appeal for a replay, based on the crowd pitch invasion from the 2nd leg playoffs in Düsseldorf. There still is one more appeal that Hertha can file, and the Berlin board hasn’t yet decided if they will attempt that. Considering that they refuse to accept that they are crap and deserve to be relegated, one would expect an appeal to get filed. No matter the outcome, Hertha’s actions will leave a bad taste in everybody’s mouth.
While Fortuna obviously deserves some kind of punishment, since ultimately they are responsible for the behavior of their fans, letting Hertha off the hook from relegation seems a bit extreme. Not to mention the fact that Hertha’s own fans are hardly angels.
Hooray, it’s over! I didn’t think the law-suits would have the balls to call for a third game: it was a little flimsy to begin with, which doesn’t mean that I buy the “they-were-just-celebrating”-story. It’s just that it wasn’t enough (and Hertha apparently doesn’t have the requisite influence…)
Honestly, Hertha may actually need this relegation, in order to get rid of 1. Preetz but also his backer 2. Gegenbauer (a funny name for sure). Berlin needs to have a team in the first league and more, but it can’t be done with these fools. And Düsseldorf also deserve to have their year in the sun.