BERLIN: Bochum’s goalkeeper was struck on the head by an object apparently thrown from the stands at Union Berlin and both Bundesliga teams left the field on Saturday.
When the game resumed, they ran down the clock without trying to score.
Patrick Drewes was preparing to take a goalkick at 1-1 in added time when he was hit by an object with a similar size and shape to a cigarette lighter. He sat down and was given medical treatment.
The referee suspended the game and led both teams off the field.
Nearly half an hour later, the game resumed and Drewes was replaced by striker Philipp Hofmann. With about three minutes left of the game, both teams agreed to not try to score.
Players passed the ball around the field, walked and had conversations with opponents while waiting for the referee to declare the game over.
“Our coach and their coach, they discussed it together and the coach told us that we’ll go out there and bring the game to an end, and that’s what we did,” Hofmann told broadcaster Sky.
He indicated more than one lighter had been thrown around the time of the incident. Hofmann added Drewes was being treated by Bochum staff and that he didn’t know his condition.
“It’s not acceptable. No matter how hard he was struck, whether he’s bleeding or not, it’s just not appropriate,” he said.
Bochum chief executive Ilja Kaenzig said his club would file a formal protest over the result of the game, arguing that the referee should have it called after the incident. Union are likely to face disciplinary action over their hosting of the game, too.
Bochum had already made substitutions at three different points in the game, meaning it would not have been possible to bring on another goalkeeper to replace Drewes. Bochum finished the game with nine players because of Drewes’ absence and an earlier red card.
Union were 12th and Bochum last in the 18-team Bundesliga.

MILAN: Atalanta’s bid for a first Serie A title continued on Saturday with a club-record 10th straight league win, 1-0 at Cagliari, which was followed by closest challengers Napoli staying on their heels with a 3-1 win at Udinese.
Nicolo Zaniolo made sure Atalanta stayed top of Serie A this weekend with the goal which decided a hard-fought encounter in Sardinia, the Italy international forward stroking home the winner from Raoul Bellanova’s cut-back in the 66th minute.
Atalanta, guided by veteran coach Gian Piero Gasperini, have emerged as genuine Scudetto challengers for the first time in their history and stay two points clear at the top of the league.
However, Gasperini was not happy with his players’ performances as, after impressing in Tuesday’s 3-2 defeat to Real Madrid, they struggled against Cagliari who are 15th and only two points above the relegation zone.
Atalanta, who also struck the post through Ademola Lookman almost straight after Zaniolo’s winner, only came away with all three points thanks to a brilliant performance between the sticks from Marco Carnesecchi.
Goalkeeper Carnesecchi pulled off three sensational stops in the six minutes before the break and saved the win in stoppage time by keeping out Leonardo Pavoletti’s header.
“A good chunk of this team, not everyone, needs to grow up a bit and get the same mentality as the core group of the squad,” said Gasperini. whose decision to make three substitutions at half-time was a sign of his dissatisfaction.
“We’re up there, but winning 10 matches in a row doesn’t really mean anything.”
Zaniolo’s strike was his third of the season and a further sign of new life after a difficult last few years.
The 25-year-old was once the rising star of Italian football after coming to prominence at Roma, where two serious knee injuries in 2020 stymied his development as a creative playmaker.
He won the inaugural Europa Conference League with Roma in 2022 under Jose Mourinho, but fell out with the Portuguese coach and last year was packed off to Galatasaray, from where he was loaned to Atalanta in July.
Gasperini later criticized Zaniolo for being booked while celebrating his goal, calling “intolerable” him whipping his shirt as it fired up the home crowd.
Zaniolo did the same thing when netting against Roma earlier this month, enraging his former supporters with his behavior.
“We cannot afford that every time he scores a goal he fires up the crows and turns our advantage into a disadvantage,” Gasperini told reporters.
“Cagliari were stunned and we managed to create a situation where the crowd fired them up again... it’s already the second time that he’s done it.”
Napoli, missing injured star Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, came back from a goal down to secure the three points at the Bluenergy Stadium where they sealed a historic third league crown last year.
Trailing at the break after Florian Thauvin netted on the rebound from his own saved 22nd-minute penalty, Napoli roared back in the second half to delight their large and loud traveling support.
Romelu Lukaku levelled five minutes after half-time, bursting through to collect Scott McTominay’s pass, holding off Lautaro Giannetti and firing in his sixth Napoli goal.
The unfortunate Giannetti inadvertently put Napoli ahead in the 76th minute when he shinned in David Neres’ miscued shot and Andre-Frank Zambo Anguissa sealed the points by coolly finishing off a fine team move.
“I said after we lost to Lazio (last weekend) that we’re on the right track,” said Conte to DAZN.
“The team needs to keep playing this kind of football, dictate the game, keep the ball and press when we don’t have it.”
Napoli are four points ahead of Lazio and third-placed Inter, who face off in Rome on Monday night, and Fiorentina with the Viola at Bologna on Saturday.
Juventus are 10 points behind Atalanta ahead of their home clash with bottom club Venezia, Sunday’s late fixture.