City of Jena announces appeal after Gera regional court ruling

The City of Jena takes note of the ruling of the Gera Regional Court of October 7, 2025, which provisionally prohibits the city from imposing house bans in connection with home matches of FC Carl Zeiss Jena. The prohibition applies until the decision in the main proceedings, but until June 30, 2026 at the latest.

According to the court's interpretation of the decision, FC Carl Zeiss Jena Spielbetriebs GmbH should have exclusive domiciliary rights. The City of Jena expressly does not share this view. According to its legal opinion, the existing rental agreement, the stadium regulations and the safety regulations give the city, as the owner of the Ernst-Abbe-Sportfeld, independent domiciliary rights. In particular, this includes the authority to take measures on its own responsibility in the event of significant security or regulatory incidents in order to ensure public safety, the protection of property and the orderly running of major events.

The city of Jena has acted responsibly in recent months and intervened where necessary to avert danger to visitors, employees and the stadium itself. The independent domestic authority of the city is a necessary instrument to react in situations in which the organizer itself does not or only insufficiently act.

The judgment is not legally binding. After receiving the written reasons for the judgment, the City of Jena will examine them and lodge an appeal with the Thuringian Higher Regional Court in Jena. The aim is to ensure that the City of Jena can continue to fully fulfill its responsibility for safety and order at the Ernst Abbe Sports Field in the future.

Irrespective of the court proceedings, the bans imposed in the past will remain in force. This decision only affects future measures until the legal situation has been finally clarified.