German Teen Soccer Player Dies After On-Field Assault at Youth Tournament

"The 15-year-old boy died in the hospital from the serious brain injuries," the police and the public prosecutor’s office in Main announced in a joint press release on Wednesday. According to the newspaper Bild, the young Berlin player would have been assaulted on the ground by a 16-year-old Moroccan player from the French club, during a fight that broke out after the match played on Pentecost Sunday on the pitch of the Eckenheim district as part of an international tournament called "German Cup".

Paul P. immediately lost consciousness. The Frankfurt firefighters, who rushed to the scene, tried to resuscitate him before transferring him to the hospital where he died. An autopsy of the body will be carried out in the coming days to determine the exact causes of death. The Moroccan player, prosecuted for "assault and battery resulting in death", has been placed in pre-trial detention.

The two football clubs expressed their condolences following the death of Paul P. "This tragedy has surprised the entire BFC community and deeply touched our hearts. Paul, who would have turned 16 this fall, was an extraordinary person. He embodied the spirit of the BFC," the Berlin team wrote on Wednesday. "Violence on football pitches must stop... We are devastated," the tournament organizers denounced.