Sick joke (or art?): Fans injured kicking concrete footballs

July 4, 2006

Sick Joke in Berlin

Fans Injured Kicking Concrete Footballs

Pranksters in Berlin took things a step too far when they filled footballs with concrete and displayed a sign goading fans to kick them -- with inevitable results



OK, so not everyone is into football, and to those who are not enthusiasts this must feel like the longest month ever, but that hardly justifies the sick joke that unknown perpetrators played recently on football fans in Berlin. Someone seems to have gone out of their way to cause people genuine harm by placing six footballs on the capital's streets and a sign asking people to kick them. The catch? The balls were filled with concrete.

"Can u kick it?" was written on a poster near the innocuous looking footballs. So, probably without thinking too long about it, two young guys, aged 21 and 23, took up the challenge and gave the balls a good kick. Unfortunately the leather balls had been filled with concrete and weighed around 10kg each. The men sustained foot injuries so severe that they had to go to hospital.

According to the police, the balls were tied to lampposts, banisters and trees near the Fan Mile in the city center, a spot where thousands of football fans pass through each day.

Police spokesperson Hansjörg Dräger told Spiegel Online, "Unfortunately we have no information about the suspects." He confirmed that they are being sought for assault. The police are still not certain if all the balls are out of circulation, and have asked Berliners to report any suspicious looking footballs immediately.