Domiciliary rights at the Ernst Abbe Sports Field

In the appeal proceedings before the Thuringian Higher Regional Court in Jena, the legal dispute regarding the issuing of bans at the Ernst-Abbe-Sportfeld was concluded today. The injunction plaintiff FC Carl Zeiss Jena Fußball Spielbetriebs GmbH (FCC Spielbetriebs GmbH) completely withdrew its application for interim relief after the court made it clear that it would rule in favor of the City of Jena. The injunction plaintiff's application was unsuccessful because it did not serve the regional court judgment on the city within the statutory period. FCC Spielbetriebs GmbH shall bear the costs of the proceedings.

The legal dispute was not initiated by the City of Jena; rather, FCC Spielbetriebs GmbH applied for interim legal protection and has now withdrawn this application. Spielbetriebs GmbH's legal action was prompted by the fact that members of the club's own active fan scene were also affected following further bans by the city in the summer of 2025.

Mayor Benjamin Koppe explains:

"From the outset, it was crucial for us that the city of Jena, as the owner of the Ernst Abbe Sports Field, remains capable of acting if there are significant disruptions to public safety and criminal offenses at home matches. If the tenant does not meet its obligations or does not do so in good time, the owner must be able to intervene in such situations itself. This serves to protect all other visitors to major events, the security forces and the city's infrastructure."

The City of Jena had already submitted a concrete proposal to FCC Spielbetriebs GmbH at the end of November to supplement the rental agreement in order to regulate the domiciliary rights of the city as the owner in a mutually agreeable and final manner. The aim is to create clear responsibilities and a reliable basis for action for future events that is accepted by both sides.

"As the city, we now assume in the next step that FCC Spielbetriebs GmbH is prepared to amend and adapt the rental agreement accordingly in the common interest of legal certainty and security at major events," concludes Benjamin Koppe.