A fourth-division match in eastern Germany ended in violent and chaotic scenes, resulting in injuries to police, stewards, and fans. Both clubs involved have condemned the incidents.

Clashes between fans resulted in disturbing scenes after Carl Zeiss Jena's dominant 5-0 victory over Chemie Leipzig on Saturday. Local police reported that 79 people were injured in the confrontations, including 10 officers, five stewards, and 64 fans from both sides. Police also revealed that 40 criminal and misdemeanor charges were filed in connection with the violence.

Jena, located in the eastern German state of Thuringia about 100 kilometers from Leipzig, had been identified as a high-risk venue for this match due to the longstanding rivalry and hostility between the fan groups. Despite both sets of hardcore fans generally holding left-wing political views, tensions were high, leading to a volatile atmosphere at the game.

A crowd of 7,224 spectators attended the match, including 1,084 Chemie supporters, despite the game being played in the regional northeastern league. Prior to the match, around 350 home fans marched through the city without prior notice, according to police. During the march, pyrotechnics were ignited, prompting police to intervene using physical force, including batons and tear gas.

In recent years, Germany has faced issues with extremist hooligan groups, though the country's fan scene is typically well-organized and vibrant. The Euro 2024 tournament, held earlier this year in Germany, passed with minimal fan-related trouble.

Both clubs condemned the violence. Carl Zeiss Jena issued a statement on Sunday placing much of the blame on the visiting fans. The statement mentioned that around 1,200 visiting fans from Leipzig "violently broke through the buffer between the visiting block and Block N," gaining access to the home fan area. The club expressed its wishes for a swift recovery for those affected and promised to investigate the incidents further.

Chemie Leipzig also condemned the actions of a minority of their fans. The club stated that fireworks had been repeatedly thrown from the away section toward the opposing home fan section. They strongly denounced the use of pyrotechnics in such a manner, emphasizing that violence, especially involving pyrotechnics, has no place in their matches and will not be tolerated. Both clubs pledged to conduct thorough investigations into the events.