Rostock, Germany. Half an hour before kick-off in FC Hansa Rostock’s Ostseestadion, the toilets beneath the south stand were full to bursting. Under a cloud of cigarette smoke, dozens of ultras readied themselves, distributing pyrotechnics and donning blue, red and white balaclavas.
When they were ready, they emerged from the haze and made their way up to the stand, spreading out and taking up positions across the huge terrace, which was already full of supporters waving large blue and white flags. Draped across the front of the stand was one enormous blue banner reading simply: “ULTRAS”
As the teams took to the field, the signal was given. With a soft pop, the first flare crackled and spluttered into life. Another followed, then another, then another – over one hundred in total.
Twenty yards to the right, across the buffer zone in the away end, a similar scene was unfolding as travelling VfB Stuttgart ultras ignited flares of their own. Within moments, the entire terrace was transformed into an inferno, an intense red glow lighting up the August night on the Baltic coast.
“Forza FCH! Forza FCH!” was the accompanying chant – a nod to the Italian roots of Germany football’s ultra scene.
Cup upsets
Just like in England, the magic of the cup in Germany lies in the potential for upsets – and this weekend was no different.
Earlier on Saturday, holders Eintracht Frankfurt had been beaten by fourth-division SSV Ulm while Bundesliga 2 giants Dynamo Dresden were knocked out by Regional League West outfit SV Rödinghausen. On Sunday, fifth-tier BSG Chemie Leipzig would come from behind to beat second-division Jahn Regensburg.
So supporters in Rostock could have been forgiven for feeling that an upset could be on the cards against top-flight Stuttgart on Saturday evening. But, despite having knocked the Swabians out of the cup on three previous occasions in 1992, 1999 and 2005, the fans enjoying the pre-match sunshine on the banks of the River Warnow weren’t getting their hopes up.
No other club from the former East Germany has spent more time in the Bundesliga since reunification than Hansa Rostock, top-flight ever-presents between 1995 and 2005. This year however, the 1991 East German double winners are beginning a seventh consecutive season in division three.
But it’s not deterred the fans who are proud of their reputation as one of Germany’s most fanatical supports. Last season, an average of 1,448 Hansa fans travelled to each away game – including 4,700 away at Werder Bremen’s reserves and never less than 800.
The figures are made even more impressive considering Rostock’s isolated location on the north coast. Hansa’s shortest trip this season will be to Eintracht Braunschweig – almost 300km to the south. Their second-shortest trip came on matchday one, when over 2,800 made the 360km trip to Energie Cottbus.
For Hansa Rostock supporters, there’s no such thing as a short away day, so sympathy for the 2,500 VfB Stuttgart fans who made the 830km pilgrimage from south-western Baden-Württemberg was in short supply.
Sloppy Stuttgart, ruthless Rostock
“We come from the south and Stuttgart is the city” read two large banners displayed among the flares in the away end at kick-off – lines taken from a popular VfB chant.
But their good mood didn’t last long. The pitch was still shrouded in smoke from the pyrotechnics when Cebio Soukou outdid former German international Holger Badstuber for pace and put Hansa ahead with a clever flick of his right boot after just eight minutes. If the atmosphere had been heated at kick-off, the mercury was off the scale now.
“Our home, our love, our colours: blue, white and red!” sang the ecstatic home fans, led by the notorious Suptras – an amalgamation of supporters and ultras – behind the goal. “Nineteen hundred and sixty-five, FCH until we die!” they went on, referring to the year Hansa Rostock were founded in their current form.
But had they scored too early? Only Bayern Munich racked up more points than Stuttgart in the second half of last season and the Swabians, in positive mood after an unbeaten pre-season, quickly took control.
“As long as we stand in the away end, your flag will continue to fly!” sang the bouncing Stuttgart contingent but down on the pitch, despite enjoying 72% of possession and boasting talents such as Mario Gomez, Daniel Didavi and Gonzalo Castro, Tayfun Korkut’s men struggled to create clear-cut chances.
Dennis Aogo saw a free-kick tipped onto the bar before half-time before Nicolas Gonzalez put a free header wide just after the restart. It may not have felt like it at the time for the 22,000 home fans, but Hansa’s defence, with four league games already under their belts, stood firm.
‘Not just any other club’
“Tonight might not be our night,” the Hansa capo had told the hardcore Suptras pre-match, gathered all in white at their warehouse base. “But it could be! And we can help make it happen!
“Remember, we’re not just any other club – we’re f****** Hansa Rostock and I don’t want to be able to hear a peep from those Wessis in the away end tonight!”
Six minutes from time, he got his wish when the “Wessis” (Westerners) were silenced for good by Mirnes Pepic’s half-volley right in front of the hardcore Rostock support.
Ecstatic Hansa fans ducked under the segregation and spilled across the buffer zone towards the away end, leaping up onto the fences to taunt the stunned travelling fans, while the masked ultras ignited whatever pyrotechnics they had left from the toilets.
For the Stuttgart fans, it was a long way home. For Hansa, the cup journey is just beginning, and they’ll travel as far as it takes.
