A German soccer player jumped into the stands and attacked an opposition fan who was insulting his family, shoving them to the ground
- Hamburg defender Toni Leistner abruptly stopped a post-match interview to climb into the stands and attack an opposition fan who had been taunting him on Monday.
- Leistner clambered through the crowd and grabbed the Dynamo Dresden fan by the shirt before shoving him to the ground.
- The 30-year-old later said he had heard the fan make offensive comments about his family, however also apologized for his actions.
- "Usually, I can handle that but then it went below the belt," he said after, adding: "Something like this will never happen again."
A soccer player in Germany abruptly stopped a post-match interview Monday to climb into the stands and attack an opposition fan who had been taunting him.
Hamburg's Toni Leistner clambered through the crowd and launched himself at a Dynamo Dresden fan after his side's 4-1 defeat in the first round of the DFB Pokal, grabbing him by the shirt and shoving him to the ground.
The 30-year-old defender, who formerly played for Dresden, was immediately mobbed by other supporters and security, before retreating back to the pitch.
After, Leistner said in an Instagram story that he had confronted the fan after hearing verbal abuse and taunts directed at his family.
"I received some massive insults from the stands in my hometown after the game," he said.
"Usually, I can handle that but then it went below the belt against my family, my wife and my daughter. At that moment my fuse blew especially as this was already an extremely emotional game for me.
"Something like this should not happen — I am a family man who wants to serve as a role model. I apologise for my behaviour and can only promise that — no matter what insults are thrown at me— something like this will never happen again."
The incident happened in front of a 10,053 strong crowd at the Rudolf-Harbig-Stadion, the biggest attendance at a soccer match in Germany since the coronavirus lockdown.
Dresden defended Leistner's actions, calling the incident "shameful" and saying it will investigate to find the fans responsible for abusing its former player.
"We're looking for the person because we don't want to let this incident stand," the club tweeted. "Thanks to 99.9% of all stadium visitors for your support."
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