 At the time BFC Dynamo was under the patronage of the Stasi, East Germany's state secret police force headed by Erich Mielke, and had since its founding in 1966 benefited from player transfers that fans of other teams considered unfair, and questionable officiating.The blatant nature of the manipulation of the decisive match led to nationwide protests by long-suffering fans.The DFV (East German Football Federation) responded by placing a lifetime ban on Stumpf.