The Story Behind Bayern Munich Refusing to Keep Playing During 6-0 Win Over Hoffenheim

Matchday 24 in the Bundesliga was unprecedented.

After reigning champions Bayern Munich has already amassed a six-goal lead over TSG Hoffenheim, ​referee Christian Dingert stopped the match - even threatening to call it off - due to a banner that was unveiled in the away end in Sinsheim, targeting club owner Dietmar Hopp.

Eventually, the game did get back underway, but for more than 10 minutes both sides just kept the ball in the middle of the pitch without trying to score, looking to run the clock down as quickly as possible.

But what was all the fuss about, considering German football fans quite famously take banners everywhere they go? Well, 90min will take you through the backstory and why matchday 24 was such a monumental day for the Bundesliga.

Who Is Dietmar Hopp?

In Germany, there is something called the 50+1 rule. In its most simple explanation, this means clubs must be majority-owned by its members - the fans. This stops outside investors who want to completely change a club, or those who a looking to make a quick buck.

Bayer 04 Leverkusen and VfL Wolfsburg are the two historical exceptions to the rule - they were set up by pharmaceutical company Bayer and car manufacturer Volkswagen respectively. 

But in 2015, Hopp was granted an exception by the German Football Association (DFB) after investing in the club for more than 20 years, therefore become the sole owner of TSG Hoffenheim.

Hopp, for many Bundesliga fans, is seen as the embodiment of what's wrong with the modern game, although it has to be noted that it's nothing to do with who he is as a person - rather what he stands for, which goes against German football tradition.

There have been very similar protests in the past against Martin Kind, who tried (and failed) to take majority control of Hannover 96.

Why Is the 50+1 Rule So Important?

Hopp isn't the only person involved in German football to be against the 50+1 rule, as many within Bayern Munich's hierarchy also see it as something which is ultimately holding them back.

For fans elsewhere, it's difficult to understand exactly why there is so much passion for the rule, but almost all Germany football clubs were set up as democratic members’ associations, which is why most teams have the abbreviation 'e.V.' in their full name.

The 50+1 rule ensures that football clubs stay like that, with 50% of a team's shares, plus one share, belonging to the members.

Perhaps only in Germany does Jock Stein's quote "football is nothing without fans" stand true.

Why Matchday 24 Was a Pivotal Moment in Bundesliga History

Most fans would agree across the board that individual attacks - either verbal or physical - do not have any place in football stadiums. 

A portion of Bayern Munich fans, and even the wider German football fanbase, would argue that Saturday's protest in Hoffenheim wasn't anything to do with Dietmar Hopp the man, but rather the idea that Dietmar Hopp supports.

The immediate fallout from the incident continued into Sunday's games, when Union Berlin - a heavily fan-led club - unveiled two different banners during their match against VfL Wolfsburg, both of which caused announcements in the stadium.

The first was criticising the DFB, something which is both a common and important thing which Bundesliga fans do to help enforce change. This recent criticism specifically related to their decision to give Borussia Dortmund fans a two-year ban from attending away games at Hoffenheim.

The second banner was about Hopp. This prompted the match to be put on hold for over 10 minutes, while players pleaded with Union's ultras to put the message away and let the game resume, which they eventually did.

Where stopping matches has caused such a big problem is that the authorities have not taken such measures in other incidents of personal attacks, including racist ones.

Last month, Hertha BSC's Jordan Torunarigha was subjected to monkey chants against Schalke. The match wasn't abandoned, and after understandably reacting to being racially abused, the 22-year-old was sent off.

More recently, Würzburger Kickers‘ Leroy Kwadwo was racially abused against Preussen Münster. This match also wasn't abandoned, but fans took things into their own hands to point out the perpetrators and have them ejected from the game.

It's clear something has to change within football fandom, as although the fallout from Bayern Munich's match in Hoffenheim with continue for quite some time, this problem isn't in any way exclusive to Germany. 

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