A German third-division soccer match was suspended for 40 minutes after a firecracker thrown from the stands exploded near goalkeeper Felix Wienand during Rot-Weiss Essen's game against Waldhof Mannheim. The incident occurred in an area of the stands containing Mannheim fans, forcing Wienand to be taken to the hospital with suspected acoustic trauma and acute stress reaction.

The 23-year-old goalkeeper's team expressed concern about potential long-term damage from the incident. Coach Uwe Koschinat voiced worry about lasting effects on Wienand's health. The game eventually resumed after the lengthy delay and Rot-Weiss Essen secured a 1-0 victory despite the traumatic interruption.

This incident follows a similar case from just over a year ago when another goalkeeper was injured by a lighter thrown from the stands in a top-division German game. That previous incident ended in unusual circumstances with both teams agreeing not to try to score after the referee resumed play against the wishes of the injured player's team.