Year in Review: The first game behind closed doors in Bundesliga history

Empty stands and no fans singing; the Rhine derby between Borussia and 1. FC Köln on 11th March was the first game without fans in Bundesliga history. The stands were empty in BORUSSIA-PARK in order to limit the spread of coronavirus. The Foals won the derby 2-1 in an eerily quiet stadium.

After 90 minutes, the Foals ran to the Nordkurve stand to celebrate. It was a symbolic gesture, as the players faced a silent wall with no sign of cheering supporters. The Rhine derby between Borussia and 1. FC Köln on 11th March was the first game behind closed doors in Bundesliga history. The local authorities in Mönchengladbach decided on the morning of 10th March, in reaction to the spread of coronavirus, that the Foals would have to do without the support of their fans. The Rhine derby shouldn’t have taken place in March anyway; storm Sabine caused the originally scheduled game on 9th February to be postponed and moved to 11th March.

Echoes instead of derby atmosphere

Instead of warming up to the sound of fans singing, the players just had music to accompany them. The team was read out and the names reverberated around the stadium, but none were met with a reaction. “It didn’t feel like a proper derby because the most important part was missing: the fans,” said head coach Marco Rose. The fiery emotions that usually characterise a derby were largely missing from both sides. Köln made a bold start, but the Foals’ defence didn’t give anything away. Borussia upped the ante and took the lead after half an hour through Breel Embolo, with Patrick Herrmann providing the assist. The Swiss put his hands behind his ears as a symbolic gesture, which would normally be an appeal to the fans: on this day, it meant “I can’t hear you. I can’t hear anyone.”

“It somehow felt like it was a training game. That really decisive factor was missing – the fans,” said Christoph Kramer. Having taken the lead, Borussia sought to extend their advantage after the break. An own goal from Köln’s Jorge Mére then gave the Foals a 2-0 lead, but it was far from over.  Mark Uth reduced the deficit with ten minutes to go, making it a nervy finish for Borussia. Rose’s side managed to hold out for the win though, and thus celebrated the first win in an empty stadium in 57 years of the Bundesliga.

Fans celebrate in front of the stadium

Although Borussia had appealed to the fans not to gather at the stadium, a few hundred supporters turned up to support the side before and after the game. The Foals spontaneously decided to thank them, climbing up the Nordkurve to see the fans stood before the stadium gates. “It was a funny feeling playing without fans in the stadium. That made what happened after the final whistle even better. It was a really emotional moment,” said Rose.