Jena, Germany. Strolling along the banks of the River Saale in the Thuringian town of Jena, there was little to suggest a cup tie between two of eastern Germany’s most iconic football clubs was about to take place.
In June 1968, FC Carl-Zeiss Jena and 1.FC Union Berlin met in the final of the old East German FDGB-Pokal, the side from Berlin-Köpenick running out 2-1 winners.
Fifty years later ahead of the same fixture, locals in swimsuits lay sprawled on the grass watching their friends paddle in the clear, shallow water in the afternoon sunshine, with temperatures pushing 30°C in the picturesque “Paradise” park to the south of the old town.
The first sign of any football-related activity came when a hundred red-shirted Union Berlin supporters emerged from under a bridge, many sipping from bottles of beer, loosely escorted by police. But there was still little sign of any Jena fans.
In fact, most of them had already gathered at the Ernst-Abbe-Sportfeld, sat on the lawns outside wooden huts selling dark Köstritzer beer and local Thüringer Bratwurst. The atmosphere resembled that of a summer holiday camp more than a football match but, by eating and drinking at the ground itself, Jena fans can provide a significant financial boost for their club.
Still, this was serious business for the ultras from the Horda Azzuro whose members circled the stadium with buckets collecting donations to cover the costs of a huge pre-match display.
‘Discipline is important!’
“A special game deserves a special atmosphere,” they announced on small instruction sheets distributed to fans. “A high four-figure sum plus countless hours of work have gone into the preparations for today’s choreography and, for the first ever time, the whole stadium is involved!”
The ultras had distributed small bags full of blue, white and yellow streamers around the entire stadium for fans launch into the air following a countdown. “Discipline is important!” continued the instructions. “So keep an eye on your neighbours, too!”
The ultras’ own block, the self-managed “Südkurve” to the right of the main stand, is a small, old, stand-alone terrace. Set about 20 meters back behind the goal, it forms part of the original round bowl – a “Kurve” (curve) in every sense.
Long blue, white and yellow sheets were draped across the terrace from top to bottom, where a large banner reading simply “VAMOS!” hung from the fence – South American flair in sleepy Thuringia.
Despite the instructions, the countdown didn’t go quite to plan with several fans in the main stand throwing their streamers prematurely, but there was still more to come from the Südkurve who set off various coloured smoke bombs, brandished flares and waved yellow and blue balloons.
Ten meters to their left in the away end, situated unusually close to the home end, the travelling Union Berlin supporters sang constantly, trying to make themselves heard above the din. Like many sets of fans across Germany this weekend, including VfB Stuttgart and Dynamo Dresden, they unfurled a banner aimed at the German Football Association promising: “Dear DFB, you will hear from us!”
The mistrust of German football’s ruling body has not gone away and was expressed throughout the game with alternating chants of “Scheiß DFB” (f*** the FA) echoing between both sets of fans.
Union lead but Jena fight back
Coming off the back of a well-deserved point away at Cologne in the league last week, division-two Union were clear favourites against Jena, who were only promoted from the regional fourth tier a year ago.
Sebastian Andersson (who scored in Cologne) and Felix Kroos (younger brother of Toni) scored first half goals for Union but the hosts capitalised on sloppy defending to draw level twice, before Simon Hedlund restored Union’s lead from the spot. Hedlund struck again in the second half to wrap up a 4-2 victory for Union in front of a 10,600 sell-out crowd.
The Sportsman left a few minutes early to catch a train and, if the importance of the game hadn’t been clear before kick-off, it was now. Walking around the edge of the stadium, fans were perched on steps, walls and fences to sneak a view of the action.
But Jena were out. The Paradise park along the river was deserted, and the sunbathers had gone home.
