It was a more bitter scene than the 0-4 rout. 1. Emotions exploded immediately after FSV Mainz 05's elimination from the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) Conference League. German national team midfielder Nadim Amiri shoved an opposing player and was sent off.
German broadcaster Sport1 reported on the 17th (Korea time), "Mainz was involved in a mass confrontation immediately after the defeat to Strasbourg. Amiri received a red card after the match."
Mainz were thrashed 0-4 by Strasbourg in the second leg of the 2025-2026 UEFA Conference League quarterfinals held at Stade de la Meinau in Strasbourg, France. They failed to keep the advantage from the 2-0 first-leg win and were eliminated 2-4 on aggregate.
The problem occurred immediately after the final whistle. Strasbourg forward Marshall Godo ran toward the corner flag where Mainz away fans were gathered. He then smiled in front of the fans and draped his shirt over the corner flag.
Mainz players erupted instantly. Seeing this, Amiri sprinted more than half the length of the pitch and shoved Godo forcefully. Godo was pushed toward the advertising boards and the fence. Strasbourg's Maxime Oyedele tried to intervene, but Amiri pushed Oyedele as well.
Godo paid no heed. He leaned his back against the fence in front of the Mainz fans and kept smiling. Then Mainz forward Philipp Titz ran in and got into a scuffle with Godo. Strasbourg goalkeeper Mike Penders also joined in immediately, and within moments players from both teams became entangled in a large-scale brawl.
In the end Amiri was sent off. Although the match had already ended, referee João Pinheiro showed Amiri a red card.
Mainz director general Christian Heidel acknowledged the sending-off after the match, saying, "It was a childish situation. There was a clash between players, and Nadim Amiri lightly touched the opponent. The referee saw that incident."
He added, "It was all unnecessary. It's not a great tragedy."
By contrast, Godo, who provoked the confrontation, received only a warning. German football legend Lothar Matthäus strongly criticized this.
Matthäus said, "UEFA should punish this behavior retrospectively. It is absolutely unacceptable," adding, "We want peace and coexistence in stadiums. Fans who traveled a long way were provoked like this by an opposing player."
He insisted, "UEFA must intervene. That behavior crossed the line. Strasbourg players should be happy about their good performance. That kind of provocation toward fans cannot be justified."
Mainz coach Urs Fischer had a different view. He criticized the players' response.
At a press conference, Fischer said, "If you lose 0-4, you should congratulate the opponent. You must not fall for provocations. Of course, I understand the players' emotions. It was a situation of great disappointment. I did not see exactly what happened. I was shaking hands with the players."
Fortunately the situation did not escalate further. Security personnel stationed in front of the Mainz fans immediately intervened and separated players from both teams, and the clash was resolved within minutes.
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