The cup game between fourth division soccer team Teutonia Ottensen and defending champion RB Leipzig, which has been moved to Dessau, is in question after the lawn was contaminated.
As the “Bild” reports, unknown persons have dumped an apparently toxic substance on the pitch in the Paul Greifzu Stadium, which causes the lawn to shrink. Both penalty areas and the center circle are affected. The police are investigating property damage. The game is scheduled for August 30 (8:45 p.m. / ZDF).
“As it looks now, you can’t play like that. That’s dead grass. That’s dead grass that won’t grow back anytime soon. We’re looking for a solution with everyone involved. A decision will definitely have to be made this week,” said Benjamin Völker, Department of Sports of the City of Dessau, the MDR.
Both clubs are working together with the DFB to solve the space problem. The place is probably not playable at the moment, the areas affected by the attack are brown instead of green. An exchange of home rights is not possible.
The search for a venue for Ottensen was already difficult. The own stadium cannot be used due to the artificial turf, FC St. Pauli and Hamburger SV did not want to make their arenas available for a game against RB Leipzig. The move to Dessau, almost 400 kilometers away, was therefore to take place. So far, over 7,000 of the 20,000 tickets have been sold. (dpa)