After the state cup match between regional league football team Babelsberg 03 and third league team Energie Cottbus, a scandal broke out. The wife of Energie player Niko Bretschneider, who was in the stands of the Babelsberg Karl Liebknecht Stadium, was attacked and hit in the face on Friday evening, as Cottbus press spokesman Stefan Scharfenberg-Hecht confirmed to the German Press Agency. The “Lausitzer Rundschau” was the first to report on this.
After the 3-2 victory for the visitors, Bretschneider wanted to visit his family and was showered with beer by a visitor. The man then attacked the defender’s wife, who had her child with her in the stadium. Scharfenberg-Hecht confirmed that the woman was hit in the face, but not that she suffered a hematoma, as was reported in the media.
President tries to mediate
“That’s where the fun stops for me. Anything can happen to me, insults can come – but physical violence against people I love, that’s completely unacceptable,” Bretschneider told the “Lausitzer Rundschau”. Energy President Sebastian Lemke had tried to calm the situation from the pitch. “I hope and wish that the association and the police will properly evaluate everything that happened here today,” said the official.
The police were on site shortly after the crime, but were unable to locate the perpetrator. As of Saturday afternoon, the police had not provided any information on the status of the investigation. Babelsberg 03 also provided no information on the incident.