A Bundesliga match between Union Berlin and Bochum was marred by an incident on Saturday when Bochum’s goalkeeper, Patrick Drewes, was struck on the head by an object thrown from the stands. The match was suspended as both teams left the field, and upon resumption, they chose to run down the clock without attempting to score.
The incident occurred in added time with the score tied at 1-1. Drewes was preparing to take a goalkick when he was hit by an object resembling a cigarette lighter. After sitting down to receive medical attention, the referee decided to suspend the game and escort both teams off the pitch.
Nearly half an hour later, the match resumed, with Drewes replaced by striker Philipp Hofmann. With approximately three minutes remaining, both teams agreed to refrain from scoring, passing the ball among themselves and engaging in conversations as they awaited the referee’s final whistle.
Bochum’s coach, Dieter Hecking, confirmed that Drewes was being transported to the hospital and noted that a “non-aggression pact” had been established between the teams upon the match’s resumption. However, he mentioned that Bochum was playing “under protest” due to Drewes’ inability to continue. Bochum’s chief executive, Ilja Kaenzig, stated that the club would file a formal protest regarding the match outcome, contending that the referee should not have restarted the game. Union Berlin is also likely to face disciplinary action related to the incident.
Bochum had already utilized all three of its allowed substitutions, leaving them unable to replace Drewes with another goalkeeper. Consequently, Bochum played the remainder of the match with nine players due to Drewes’ absence and a prior red card. At the time of the incident, Union Berlin was positioned 12th in the league, while Bochum was at the bottom of the 18-team Bundesliga table.
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