Rot-Weiss Essen goalkeeper Felix Wienand was recently hospitalized after a firecracker exploded near him in the middle of a soccer match.
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The incident occurred as Rot-Weiss Essen played Waldhof Mannheim in the German third division. Someone from the area of the stands containing Mannheim fans threw a firecracker onto the field. It exploded "in the immediate vicinity" of Wienand and forced a stoppage of play.
Rot-Weiss Essen took Wienand to the hospital with suspected acoustic trauma and acute stress reaction. Head coach Uwe Koschinat expressed concern that this could lead to long-term damage for the 23-year-old goalkeeper.
Play resumed after approximately 40 minutes. Rot-Weiss Essen defeated Waldhof Mannheim 1-0.
"He's really not feeling well," Koschinat said, per a translation. "It's about the health of a player who has been very wantonly put at risk.
"We all hope he does not sustain any longer-term damage from it. This is to be feared with such an action."
This is not the only time that a player in a German division has sustained an injury due to something thrown from the stands. A match between Bundesliga clubs Bochum and Union Berlin in late 2024 ended under bizarre circumstances.
Someone in the stands threw a lighter as Bochum goalkeeper Patrick Drewes was preparing to take a goalkick. This object hit him in the head, forcing him to sit down and receive medical treatment.
The referee suspended the action as both teams left the field for approximately 30 minutes. Once play resumed, striker Philipp Hofmann replaced Drewes, who went to the hospital. However, both teams agreed to try not to score.
A spokesperson for Union Berlin said that the person in the crowd had been identified and that the police had gotten involved.
The match ended in a 1-1 tie, but the German soccer federation's sports court later awarded Bochum a 2-0 win. The court reasoned that Union Berlin bore the responsibility for its supporter injuring Drewes. Union Berlin appealed the decision but ultimately lost.
