In the 3. Liga match between Rot-Weiss Essen and SV Waldhof Mannheim, goalkeeper Felix Wienand was injured in the 53rd minute by a firecracker thrown from the away section. The game was interrupted for over 45 minutes, resumed without Wienand, who was taken to hospital. Essen eventually won 1:0.
The home match of Rot-Weiss Essen against SV Waldhof Mannheim in the 3. Football League was overshadowed by a serious incident. In the 53rd minute, a firecracker detonated in the penalty area, causing 23-year-old goalkeeper Felix Wienand to collapse and clutch his ears. He received immediate medical attention and was taken to a hospital, where an initial diagnosis confirmed a blast trauma and acute stress reaction, as stated by RWE on platform X. Further examinations are pending.
The incident, apparently caused by a fan from Mannheim, led to an interruption of more than 45 minutes. Referee Lennart Kernchen sent the teams to the locker rooms, and the game was on the verge of abandonment. The suspected perpetrator was identified and detained. After the break, play resumed without Wienand, who was replaced by Tino Casali. Essen had already taken the lead through a goal by Marek Janssen in the 31st minute and won 1:0 in the end. Mannheim's striker Terrence Boyd received a red card in the 67th minute for a foul to an Essen's face.
Essen's coach Uwe Koschinat expressed concern: "Our thoughts are with Felix. He's really not doing well. It's about the player's health, which was deliberately put at risk today. We hope he doesn't suffer long-term damage." SV Waldhof coach Luc Holtz was shocked: "I've never experienced anything like this in my career. It puts football in the background." The incident recalls a similar one in the Bundesliga in December 2024, when Bochum's goalkeeper Patrick Drewes was hit by a lighter and his team later awarded a protest win.
