Borussia Dortmund defeated Mainz 2-0 at home in the German Bundesliga on Sunday, but the game was overshadowed by a tragic incident: a fan in the stands died of a heart attack.
James Whaling of the Irish Mirror reported the news, while the club released a statement (in German) to confirm the news.
The Signal Iduna Park in Dortmund fell dead silent after the news spread, and fans from both Dortmund and Mainz paid their respects. The officials also appeared to understand the severity of the situation.
Dortmund’s official Twitter account also shared this video of the fans singing “You’ll Never Walk Alone,” with the caption ‘Danke. Thank you.’
Subscribe to our free weekly newsletter!
A week of sports news in your in-box.
We find the sports news you need to know, so you don't have to.
Sky Sports’ Alex Chaffer shared this video from the stands, demonstrating how silent the stadium became upon news of the incident.
Both fans and pundits appeared to agree on social media, stating that the sport of soccer takes a backseat when tragedies like these occur.
FSV Mainz 05 also expressed its sympathy via Twitter:
Marco Reus and Shinji Kagawa scored the goals that ensured Dortmund kept up with Bayern Munich in the Bundesliga standings, but on Sunday, the home fans at the Signal Iduna Park, who are some of the most passionate in all of soccer, had other concerns.
Per Dortmund’s statement, a second fan also suffered a heart attack during the game, but the club later confirmed he is in stable condition, according to Bundesliga writer Raphael Honigstein.
DORTMUND, GERMANY – MARCH 05: Fans of Dortmund celebrate during the Bundesliga match between Borussia Dortmund and FC Bayern Muenchen at Signal Iduna Park on March 5, 2016 in Dortmund, Germany. (Photo by Christof Koepsel/Getty Images For MAN)
To add insult to injury, Sean McVay announced on Monday that the Los Angeles Rams…
The Panthers named Andy Dalton as their new starting quarterback earlier this week, relieving 2023…
Once known as the worst clutch quarterback in the NFL, Atlanta Falcons QB Kirk Cousins…
On Tuesday, the Miami Dolphins placed quarterback Tua Tagovailoa on injured reserve with a concussion.…
The Chicago Bears learned the hard way last week that not all wins are pretty.…
Quarterback Daniel Jones has had to field multiple questions about negative Giants fans last week.…