German police say teen injured in post-match brawl with French team has died

Full Screen
1 / 3

Copyright 2023 The Associated Press. All rights reserved

The pitch of a soccer club is pictured in Frankfurt, Germany, Tuesday, May 30, 2023. A 15-year-old soccer player has died after suffering severe brain injuries during a post-match brawl with an opposing team at an international youth tournament in Germany over the weekend, officials said Wednesday. A 16-year-old from a French team was jailed pending further investigation by a judge in Frankfurt, where the match with a team from Berlin took place on Sunday. (AP Photo/Michael Probst)

FRANKFURT – A 15-year-old soccer player has died after suffering severe brain injuries during a post-match brawl with an opposing team at an international youth tournament in Germany over the weekend, officials said Wednesday.

Frankfurt police said in a statement that a postmortem examination will be carried out on the teen in the coming days. A 16-year-old player from a French team remains in detention pending further inquiries.

Recommended Videos



Police said a scuffle broke out following the final whistle Sunday and then escalated into a brawl between members of the French team and a team from Berlin.

The victim was struck in the head or neck area and collapsed, police said. He was treated by emergency medical personnel at the scene and taken to a hospital.

The exact circumstances of the fight were still under investigation. Police have asked for witnesses who may have video of the brawl to come forward.

German news agency dpa reported that the victim’s organs will be donated.