The kick-off of Sunday's Bundesliga game between Bochum and Eintracht Frankfurt was delayed by 50 minutes due to banners hung by visiting fans blocking an emergency exit.
The visiting Frankfurt fans ignored several stadium announcements and appeals on the big screen to remove the banners.
Referee Felix Zwayer sent the teams back into the dressing rooms. German tabloid Bild reported the referee threatened to cancel the match if the banners were not cleared.
The banners were eventually removed after Frankfurt sporting director Markus Kroesche approached the fans.
German media reported some Frankfurt fans left the stadium in protest, while others chanted that the decision to delay the kick-off was "ridiculous".
A similar incident occurred at the stadium in January 2024, when a match against Stuttgart was delayed by 40 minutes due to visiting fan banners blocking emergency exits.
Bochum's Ruhrstadion, among the oldest in the league, has emergency exits which lead onto the pitch, unlike in more modern arenas.
dwi/jc
