The rivalry between Bayern Munich and 1860 Munich is never particularly short on hostility, but one incident during Bayern’s Bundesliga title celebrations at Marienplatz has now developed into a legal dispute that is showing no signs of slowing down.
On May 17, as Bayern Munich celebrated another league title in front of thousands of supporters and live television cameras, supporters of local rivals 1860 Munich managed to smuggle an insulting banner into the event and unfurl it in the fan section.
Bayern subsequently filed a criminal complaint against persons unknown for insult, with the club taking issue not only with the message but also with the use and defacement of its logo.
The matter has now reached the home of one alleged participant. According to Bild, police recently searched the apartment of a suspect believed to have been involved in the incident. Four detectives from the Munich Criminal Investigation Department carried out the search under an emergency warrant issued by the Munich District Court. Computers and other electronic devices were seized as investigators looked for potential evidence, including receipts, bank transfers, and chat logs.
Interestingly, Bild (via @iMiaSanMia) reports that the suspect’s lawyer described the officers as very friendly, claiming they even chuckled at the prank. That detail has not exactly helped make the investigation look less unusual from the defense’s perspective.
Sebastian Wagner, a defense attorney who regularly represents 1860 Munich supporters in criminal proceedings, strongly disputes the legal basis for the case: “The behavior described does not constitute a criminal offense. FC Bayern AG is also not a collective entity that can be the victim of an insult.”
Wagner is also unhappy that authorities carried out a search in the first place, suggesting that Bayern’s influence may have played a role in the judiciary’s response: “You get the impression that FC Bayern says, ‘Jump,’ and the Munich judiciary asks, ‘How high?’”
Bayern Munich, however, has its own explanation for pursuing the matter. The club reportedly had two primary objectives. First, it wanted the derogatory banner handed over so that its logo would no longer remain in circulation in that form. Second, Bayern ultimately decided to take legal action because it does not tolerate its logo being defaced or disparaged, particularly out of a sense of responsibility toward its supporters.
And the accused supporter is apparently not interested in backing down. Speaking through his lawyer, the 1860 Munich fan delivered a response that sounds very much in keeping with the rivalry: “A derby lasts 90 minutes. But in court, I would also take on FC Bayern all the way into stoppage time.”
Well, there is certainly no shortage of confidence on either side.
What began as a rival supporters’ attempt to hijack Bayern Munich’s title celebration has become a rather unusual legal showdown between Germany’s biggest club and an 1860 Munich fan. Whether the banner incident ultimately constitutes a criminal offense is for the courts to determine, but the episode has already provided another chapter in Munich’s never-ending football rivalry.
For now, the derby is apparently continuing well beyond the final whistle.
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