German football fans sabotage VAR monitor as referee left blind to penalty incident

Martin Macdonald

• 9 Mar 2026 06:30 CDT
• 4 min read

News

German football fans in the 2. Bundesliga took their hatred for VAR to another level this past weekend as they actually sabotaged the VAR monitor before the referee could look at a penalty incident.

The vandalism took place in the match between Preussen Munster and Hertha Berlin on Sunday, which the away side would go on to win 2-1 thanks to goals from Fabian Reese and Marten Winkler, with the winner being scored in injury time.

It was that first goal that caused controversy, however, as it came via a penalty kick.

After a foul by Munster's Niko Koulis on Hertha's Michael Cuisance, referee Felix Bickel was summoned to watch the incident on the VAR monitor to decide on a potential penalty. The problem was, by the time he got there, what met his gaze was a blank screen.

🚨💣 THE CRAZIEST INCIDENT OF 2026 💀🤣

In the German Second Division, two Münster fans stormed the pitch during their home match against Hertha Berlin and literally stole the VAR cable — causing the giant screen to go completely black! 😳

The referee was heading over to review… pic.twitter.com/X4Rk1CVPit

— Topskills Sports UK (@topskillsportuk) March 8, 2026

That's because a masked fan of the home side jumped the barrier and pulled the plug on the VAR monitor so that it didn't show footage. In the end, Bickel had to rely on his colleagues in Cologne to sway his decision on the penalty.

Before stewards could intervene, the fan was helped by another masked man to get back into the stand.

A statement from Preussen Munster post-match read: "A masked spectator from the active fan section illegally entered the pitch and unplugged the technical equipment. Preussen Munster regrets the incident and will do everything in its power to identify and bring the perpetrator(s) to justice."

You'd be forgiven for thinking that this was a spontaneous action by a supporter who simply didn't want to see his side concede a penalty. However, Preussen Munster confirmed that the action was premeditated.

"Furthermore, immediate measures have been taken to prevent similar incidents in the future," the statement continued.

"Initial findings indicate that this was a planned action - a banner to that effect was displayed in the home section shortly after the technical malfunction."

After the monitor was disabled, a banner was unveiled in the stand which read "Pull the plug on VAR."

German football fans, like many around the world, have been rallying against the increasing use of the Video Assistant Referee system during matches.

The DFB are set to investigate the incident and the home side could face a fine for failing to protect the area around the VAR monitor.

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