German FA fine Leverkusen €19,000 for pitch invasion

German Football Association DFB have fined Bayer Leverkusen €19,000 following a premature pitch invasion last season.

The brief interruption of play happened before they secured their first-ever Bundesliga title last season.

The incident occurred on April 14, when Florian Wirtz’s second goal of the afternoon gave Leverkusen a 4-0 lead against Werder Bremen in the 84th minute, prompting fans to storm the pitch prematurely.

Wirtz quickly gestured for the fans to calm down and save their celebration for the final whistle, before completing his hat-trick.

Despite his efforts, the DFB imposed the fine for the pitch invasion and the lighting of four Bengal flares after the final whistle.

Meanwhile, the club can reinvest €6,300 of the fine in safety or violence prevention measures.

This historic campaign saw Xabi Alonso led Bayer Leverkusen to an unbeaten domestic season, clinching the Bundesliga title with five games remaining and ending Bayern Munich’s 11-year dominance.