München – At 9 p.m. it’s Champions League time. But FC Bayern’s game against Benfica Lisbon on Wednesday evening kicked off a quarter of an hour later because there were delays in arriving by subway. According to the police, around 400 away fans had already gathered at Marienplatz around 5 p.m. and set off pyrotechnics. Both police and MVG confirm that fans finally set fire to Bengalos at around 6:30 p.m. in the Marienplatz station and in a subway at Odeonsplatz.
Due to the smoke, the two stations had to be evacuated. According to MVG, they were released again after half an hour. According to the police, the ardent fans were all Benfica supporters. Officers arrested one person at both Marienplatz and Odeonsplatz for setting off pyrotechnics. Both are now being investigated for violating the Explosives Act.
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Benfica fans shut down the subway in Munich
“Such incidents happen again and again at Football games, most recently in the summer during the European Championships,” said MVG spokesman Maximilian Kaltner. “Since the Munich subway is an open system without entry controls, we cannot prevent such incidents.”
“Thank God the majority of football fans are sensible,” says Stefan Hofmeir from the Munich Passengers Campaign. But there is also a small part that has no inhibitions about violence and is looking for a riot. “The aggression potential of football fans is well known. That’s why the Fröttmaning subway station was built a little further away from the Allianz Arena.” This way, fans can burn off their pent-up energy before taking the subway, says Hofmeir. In his opinion, the only thing that can help prevent riots is additional security personnel at the large stops.
Unprecedented incidents: Signal box malfunction also paralyzes traffic in Munich
Parallel to the igniting fans, a signal box malfunction in the Kieferngarten area brought the section between the student town and the Garching Research Center to a standstill until 8:30 p.m. For Hofmeir from the Munich Passengers Campaign, the incidents on Wednesday evening are unprecedented:
“We are not yet aware of a case of this magnitude. If there is also a signal box malfunction, you have lost.” He sees the difficulties as a structural problem: “In many areas, the subway and tram infrastructure has been subject to wear and tear over the last few decades without being renovated at an early stage.” The systems are now more susceptible to disruptions, says Hofmeir. “The Free State and the city must work together to bring the infrastructure back into shape.”
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