DFB fines Bayern Munich and VfB Stuttgart €260,000 each for massive pyro display in cup final

Munich/Stuttgart – FC Bayern Munich has been hit with a record fine of €260,000 by the German Football Association (DFB) following the massive use of pyrotechnics by ultras during the DFB Cup final against VfB Stuttgart (3:0). The final opponent from Stuttgart received the same penalty for the equally extensive burning of pyrotechnic items by VfB supporters.

Judge Cites Severity of Offenses

In the ruling's reasoning, Judge Stephan Oberholz emphasized the severity of the misconduct, particularly "the considerable extent, duration, and intensity, the dangerousness of the misconduct by the Munich supporters, and the resulting game delay." He further stated:

"The massive incidents to be assessed here, in the form of igniting hundreds of pyrotechnic items, go beyond previously known disruptive incidents in terms of the severity of the act and guilt."

According to the DFB protocol, over 300 pyrotechnics were identified in each of the two fan sections – also as a protest by the ultras against the DFB.

• In the first half, at least 30 pyrotechnic articles were ignited by Bayern supporters.
• Between the 51st and 55th minutes after halftime, another 235 followed – including rockets and smoke pots.
• Due to the thick smoke, the game had to be interrupted for three minutes, increasing the penalty by 30 percent.
• In the second half, another 39 Bengalos or blinkers were ignited by Munich fans.

Control Committee Demanded Higher Penalty

On June 30, the DFB Control Committee proposed a mega-fine of €377,100 to FC Bayern. The record sum resulted from the calculation of pyro offenses (€1,000 per ignited item, €3,000 per launched article) plus the surcharge due to the game delay. The German record champions filed an objection.

The protocol states:

"FC Bayern München AG did not agree to this and argued that the club was not the organizer of the game and could not influence security matters. The DFB had been informed multiple times in advance about the expected pyrotechnic activity and was supported beyond its obligations. The exceptionally high number of ignited pyrotechnic items was a consequence of a systemic failure of the entry controls for which the DFB is responsible. This should be considered a mitigating factor."

Stuttgart also rejected the penalty previously demanded by the Control Committee of €365,000 for the at least 319 pyrotechnic items.

Penalty Reduced

The DFB Sports Court partially followed the reasoning of Bayern and Stuttgart, reducing the penalty by more than €100,000. Both clubs may use €86,700 of the total penalty by December 31 for their own security or violence prevention measures.

Previous Pyro Incidents

This is not the first time this season that Bayern fans have caused pyro trouble. UEFA had imposed a partial closure of the south stand on the club for the massive burning of pyrotechnics by the ultras during the match against Sporting Lisbon (3:1) in December 2025.