Painful setback for Austria fans: conviction after vandalism!

Painful setback for Austria fans: conviction after vandalism!

In a judicial discussion, two supporters of SV Austria Salzburg were convicted after causing considerable damage to property as part of a lubricating campaign near the Red Bull Arena. This incident occurred in January, when the two fans, at the age of 23 and 31, were accused under the accusation of serious property damage. The total damage amounts to around 6,500 euros, which leads to high fines and claims for damages, such as [Laola1.at] (https://www.laola1.at/de/fussball/sonstiges/news/sachbeschaedignignigehnehnehnehnehnehnehne-red-bull-arena—austria-fans-vermung.

The 23-year-old defendant, who was previously unsolicited, must pay an unconditional fine of 2,160 euros. His accomplice, a 31-year-old with several criminal records, received a fine of 5,760 euros and a conditional prison sentence of ten months. Prosecutor Marcus Neher critically commented on the disruption of the infrastructure in Salzburg and emphasized the need to punish such acts.

rivalry between fan warehouses

The lubrication campaign is to be understood in the context of an intensive rivalry between the fans of SV Austria Salzburg and FC Red Bull Salzburg. The younger of the two accused stated that former smears and stickers from Red Bull in Maxglan, the location of Austria Salzburg, were the background of his actions. According to krone.at, this rivalry also led to a further incident in which a supporter of Austria Salzburg threatened a bull tag on November 2, 2024 and attacked a neighbor.

The defendant in this second case, which is part of the fan group "Union Ultra", was confessed and asked for an apology. As a result, he received a fine of 4,680 euros. The psychological consequences for the victims are serious; Both women are in psychological treatment and reports of fears.

The dark side of the fan culture

These incidents throw a light on the problematic sides of fan culture in football. In view of increasing violence and aggression among fans, the question arises as to how such problems should be dealt with. Deutschlandfunk analyzes the developments in fan culture and emphasizes that a complete pacification in football is an unrealistic expectation. Many clubs, such as the 1. FC Köln, are looking for dialogue with their ultra group to reduce tensions about topics such as pyrotechnics and security measures.

The financial consequences of riots are also considerable because clubs have to pay for police operations and possible punishments. Nevertheless, the question remains how the two sides - fans and security forces can communicate with each other in order to reduce violence in football.