The German FA have fined Borussia Dortmund to the hefty tune of €62,000 for their fans’ pyrotechnic bombardment during an away game against Fortuna Dusseldorf earlier in the season.
Dortmund lost 2-1 at the Esprit Arena on 18th December but that didn;t stop their travelling supporters from having a rare old pyro-party, with flames seemingly engulfing their section of the stadium at one point.
The DfB are attempting to crack down on the use of flares and fireworks at German matches and recently introduced a tariff that fines clubs €1,000 per flare spotted during any given match.
According to Westfalischer Anzeiger, Dortmund fans lit 36 “pyrotechnic elements” before kick-off, causing the start of the match to be delayed by nearly two minutes.
Further displays during the match mean Dortmund have been fined for 44 separate offences, plus a little extra for being repeat offenders.
Indeed, the club have now been fined a running total of €130,000 by the DfB since September 2018 having been charged and found guilty four times.
Creating an intimidating atmosphere is one thing, but that kind of money-haemorrhaging just isn’t sustainable.