Cologne fans send TOY CARS onto the pitch to disrupt their side’s clash with Werder Bremen as protests against plans for private equity investors in the Bundesliga continue

• The game was delayed in the second half as tennis balls and cars were cleared
• It was the latest in a number of protests against the DFL’s controversial decision
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Cologne’s clash with Werder Bremen was temporarily halted on Friday after fans sent remote-controlled cars onto the pitch.

With the game goalless at the RheinEnergieStadion, play was disrupted in the second half when remote controlled stunt cars piloted by fans in the stands were driven on to the pitch.

Cameras captured a masked supporter driving one of the model vehicles from the stands as a Bremen substitute unsuccessfully attempted to kick it off the pitch.

At the same time, countless tennis balls were launched from the stands onto the playing surface with the protest delaying the action for nearly ten minutes before play could resume.

The incident follows similar protests held across several Bundesliga clubs with discontent among supporters derived from the German Football League’s (DFL) decision to allow a private equity investor for the next 20 years.

Television footage showed players kicking the tennis balls off the pitch. while a number of remote control cars were driven around one of the penalty areas.

Cameras zoomed in on one orange car driving over one of the tennis balls as it flipped over, revealing a blue underside before it continued to flip over repeatedly.

After the restart the visitors were able to take the lead through substitute Justin Njinmah to move to within three points of a European qualifying place. 

The incident was not the first of its kind, with several other games impacted by the protest from fans in the division.

Kick-off prior to Borussia Dortmund’s clash with Cologne was significantly delayed by eight minutes as fans threw coins onto the pitch, while Hamburg’s game against Hannover in the second division last week was delayed after fans attached padlocks to goalposts.

In December, Union Berlin fans threw chocolate coins onto the pitch in their 3-0 defeat at Bochum.

The DFL have insisted they are looking to boost its business model and international marketing with the £859.6m income, with the investor having no say in sporting matters.

The plans would see the DFL negotiate a deal to sell an eight per cent stake of the the Bundesliga and Bundesliga 2’s media rights to private equity firms. 

Back in December 24 clubs across the top two divisions voted in favour of the proposals that could bring in around bring in up to £853m in revenue. 

That hasn’t deterred fans from making their feelings clear, however, and fans at Cologne games have been some of the most vocal when it comes to the protests.

During the clash Dortmund, away fans unfurled banners reading ‘No to investors in the DFL’ and ‘German football remains risk capital’, and the stadium again engaged in chants on Friday as the toy cars were driven around the pitch.