Bundesliga: Deutsche Bahn pays bonus to Hertha Berlin for good behaviour of fans

The railway company Deutsche Bahn, the shirt sponsor of Hertha Berlin (Bundesliga), paid a bonus to the club for the good behaviour of their fans during the 2013-14 season, the German company announced on 30/05/2014.

The club has a clause with its main sponsor that grants them an estimated €1m bonus at the end of the season if the club's supporters do not damage trains. "We established rules with the club and set up 'Fan Projekte' [social initiatives with the club, community groups and supporters]. If fans created problems, the club would not have been punished, but if all went well, the club would get a bonus," said the CEO of Deutsche Bahn, Rüdiger Grube, speaking to the German newspaper Bild on 30/05/2014. The company initially paid €4.5m per year to be the shirt sponsor of the club.

Hertha Berlin saw violence and damage to trains with their supporters' travel in 2010 and also in 2012, during the last relegation of the club to 2.Bundesliga.

• Hertha Berlin finished 11^th in Bundesliga in 2013-14.