Kickoff in Leverkusen's game with Bayern Munich delayed by fan protests

LEVERKUSEN, Germany — The kickoff in Bayer Leverkusen's game against Bayern Munich — the top two teams in the Bundesliga — has been delayed as fans of both teams threw objects onto the field in protests.

Fans threw objects including sweets and small rubber balls, waiting for staff to clear away one wave of objects before throwing more. It caused a delay of around eight minutes before the game eventually kicked off.

Long-running protests against the German league’s plans to sell a stake of revenue to an outside investor have intensified as talks are held with prospective buyers.. An earlier game Saturday between Union Berlin and Wolfsburg had delays totaling around half an hour after fans of both teams threw tennis balls.

In one game Friday, bicycle locks were attached to the goalposts by fans to further delay a second-division game.