German Cup derby battleground, 85 injured

The German Cup match between two arch-rivals, Walshof Mannheim and Kaiserslautern, ended in a fierce clash outside the football field. A total of 85 people, including 35 security personnel, were injured in the rioting of fans and clashes with police.

Friday night's match was high-tension from the start. The match had been marked as 'high risk' due to the long-standing animosity between fans from the two cities, which are only 50 kilometers apart. The situation spiraled out of control after the scheduled 90 minutes ended goalless.

According to the police, tensions flared when Kaiserslautern fans threw flares towards the main stand. At one point, Mannheim fans entered the field. About 1,400 riot police were deployed to control the situation and the fans were returned to the gallery.

The match resumed after about half an hour of violence. In the end, Kaiserslautern scored in the 120th minute to secure the win.

According to Mannheim police, 33 federal police officers and two state police officers were slightly injured in the clashes. In total, 85 people received first aid and eight were taken to hospital with serious injuries.

German authorities have launched multiple investigations into the violence on the pitch following the incident. Several cases have been opened for assault on police, damage to the stadium, breach of discipline and violations of the explosives law.