Stuttgart president received death threats after relegation

VfB Stuttgart’s relegation from the Bundesliga for the second time in five years has caused a considerable amount of consternation among fans of the 2006-07 champions, but as is always the case in the age of social media some of it has “crossed the line” in the view of both the club and the German police.

Stuttgart president Wolfgang Dietrich has been subjected to online abuse and death threats after The Swabians lost the Bundesliga playoff against Union Berlin, which has caused the police to open an investigation. “In our estimation and that of the club, a red line has been crossed,” said Stuttgart police Superintendent Franz Lutz.