Bundesliga Club Set to Sue Supporter After New Football Court Ruling Comes Into Effect

A German football club is seeking damages in excess of £25,000 after one of its fans set off a firework that injured seven others at a game two years ago.

FC Koln, who ply their trade in the Bundesliga, have begun proceedings to sue one of their own supporters after the incident, which occurred back in 2014.

The news comes after the German Federal Court of Justice agreed to impose a new ruling that allows football clubs to take fans to court over bad behaviour during matches.

FC Koln were fined £43,000 by Germany's football federation, the DFB, following the event.

The DFB also enforced the club to invest a further £25,827 into finding ways of preventing such violence from occurring at future games.

Koln are now looking to sue their own fan for around the same figure.

In a statement released by the club, officials said: "The ruling gives us as a club much needed legal certainty regarding the question as to whether we can pass penalties imposed by the DFB on to those who were originally responsible".

The upper regional court in Germany, or Landgerichte, will now have to decide whether the fan in question must pay the fine in full or only part of the damages pursued by Koln.

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