Footballer arrested on suspicion of fatally poisoning team-mate in 'revenge' act on team trip

A 35-year-old footballer has been arrested just two weeks before his wedding on suspicion of fatally poisoning his teammate.

On Tuesday (1 September), the footballer, who has been named as Marius, was arrested for allegedly secretly giving his teammate poison during a team trip.

The incident involved players from amateur German club TuS Rockenberg, with the team taking a trip to to Dresden, Germany to celebrate the end of the season.

Why dud Marius poison his teammate?

During the trip one player, named Philipp, started to suddenly feel unwell and upon returning home, became seriously ill, leading to his family calling emergency services who immediately took him to hospital.

The following day, June 16 2025, the player tragically passed away aged 30, despite attempts to resuscitate him from medical professionals.

Initially, the victim's family believed that severe food poisoning from fish eaten by the team during the trip may have been the cause, but it was later confirmed to be something much more sinister.

An investigation revealed that Philipp's official cause of death was septic multi-organ failure caused by poisoning, as reported by NeedToKnow.

Shortly after, Marius was established as a suspect as rumours in Rockenberg suggested that the two footballers had allegedly been arguing over a woman.

Senior public prosecutor Thomas Hauburger told local media: “We assume that this was an act of revenge.”

German club release statement after player poisoned by teammate

Following news of the arrest, TuS Rockenberg released an official statement reacting to the shocking events on social media.

It read: “After having to cope with the sudden death of a teammate in our football department last year, the events of last Tuesday have once again left us speechless.

"None of us can currently comprehend this latest devastating blow. We are now placing our hopes in the work of the authorities and trust that the incident will be fully investigated.

"Given the extremely distressing and emotional situation for everyone involved at our club, we will not comment on the ongoing investigation. We therefore urgently and respectfully ask that players, coaches and board members are not approached for comment.

"Thank you for your understanding.”

At the time of Philipp's death, the amateur club described him as “a friend, a fighter on the pitch and a man with a big heart”.

In their own statement, his family said they would remember “the loud laughter, the quiet gestures and the big heart”.

Marius is now being held in detention as the investigation progresses, with a trial to come sometime in the near future.

As it stands, he or his legal team have made no statement regarding the allegations.