Two Bundesliga Fixtures Postponed Amid Heavy Snow in Germany

Two Bundesliga fixtures were called off on Friday as heavy snowfall rendered stadiums unsafe, the German league has confirmed.

St. Pauli’s top-flight clash with RB Leipzig, scheduled for Saturday in Hamburg, was the first to be postponed. The northern German city has struggled with persistent snowfall, with further accumulation expected. Hours later, the Bundesliga announced that Werder Bremen’s game against Hoffenheim, also due to take place on Saturday, would not go ahead.

St. Pauli stated that the club had “done everything possible to ensure the game could be held safely,” but persistent difficulties, particularly clearing snow from the stadium roof, made the fixture untenable. Officials also noted that postponing the match would help reduce pressure on emergency services, the transport network, and healthcare providers. Leipzig currently sit fourth in the 18-team Bundesliga, while St. Pauli occupy 16th.

Werder Bremen cited ice and snowdrifts as reasons for calling off their match, highlighting hazards in the concourses, blocked emergency exits, and travel complications for supporters at their 42,000-capacity stadium.

The league has pledged to announce new dates for both postponed fixtures “shortly.”

Snowfall continued across northern and eastern Germany on Friday, with further accumulation expected overnight. Rail services for long-distance travel in northern regions were suspended, while road journeys were severely disrupted.

Union Berlin’s fixture against Mainz, meanwhile, remains scheduled for Saturday. Union supporters have reportedly volunteered to assist in clearing snow and ice around the team’s stadium in the German capital.

This weekend marks the first round of Bundesliga matches following the winter break. The women’s Bundesliga remains on a hiatus until 23 January.

Other sports were also affected by the snow. A men’s basketball game in Hamburg, scheduled for Saturday, was cancelled after the arena was closed due to concerns about the roof. Syntainics MBC, another basketball side, undertook a 430-kilometre journey to Oldenburg under protest after the league rejected their request for a postponement, describing the trip as “dangerous” for players, staff, and coaches.

Across the border in the Netherlands, NEC Nijmegen’s Eredivisie fixture against Utrecht on Friday was also called off due to adverse weather forecasts. While other top-flight matches in the Netherlands are proceeding as planned, second-division games have been postponed.