A football-related crime story has shocked Germany: a footballer has been arrested on suspicion of fatally poisoning a teammate during the team's traditional end-of-season trip. The twist in the case came after a year of investigations: initially food poisoning was suspected.
Death by poisoning of TuS 1912 Rockenberg footballer last year
In mid-June 2025, TuS 1912 Rockenberg, an amateur club in the Kreisliga, the eighth tier of German football, organized a team trip to Dresden. Among the participants were the victim and the suspect in his murder. During the trip and shortly after returning home, the former suffered a serious and unexpected health condition.
The family called the emergency services, but the deterioration of the condition was irreversible: the player died in hospital that same day, June 16, 2025. Initially, teammates and family members suspected food poisoning, possibly caused by the fish the team had consumed during the trip.
But the autopsy and toxicological analyses by the Institute of Forensic Medicine in Giessen determined the true cause of death: septic multiorgan failure as a result of poisoning. The type of poison, the exact method of its use and other technical details have not been made public "for reasons of investigative tactics", as they were things that only the author could know.
A teammate is arrested, accused of poisoning him
The investigation lasted for months and on September 1 of this year led to the arrest of the suspect. After appearing before a judge, he was placed in custody, without giving a statement, as is his right. His home and workplace, as well as the Niddatali town hall, were searched, and mobile phones, computers and other equipment were seized.
The charge against him is extremely serious: premeditated murder for vile motives. Attorney General Thomas Hauburger said that, in the current state of the investigation, everything points to an act of personal revenge. What he did not add is that, according to the evidence in Rockenberg, the two footballers were allegedly fighting over a woman. If convicted of murder, life imprisonment can be imposed in Germany.
The names of the two players have not been released, only their first names and ages. The victim is Philipp L., who died a few days before his 31st birthday. At the time, the club remembered him as a "friend, a fighter on the pitch and a man with a big heart" who had left behind "an irreplaceable void."
The suspect has been identified as Marius W., 35. The latter's photo is also circulating, as is the full details: it was clearly impossible for both of them to remain unknown.
Rockenberg HE. Marius Wetz (35, l.) vergiftet mutmaßlich Philipp Liebig (30), denn beide streiten schon länger "um eine Frau". Der TV „heiratete nach der Tat standesamtlich“, nur die Feier im September verspätet sich nun. https://t.co/Nzrj4bdNxl pic.twitter.com/1Xsp9PXldh
— Der Weststrolchkönig⁴². 🔪🪓 (@DerEgica) September 4, 2026
The murder suspect was supposed to be throwing a big wedding party in a few days, having already been married in a civil ceremony last year, following the events he is accused of. Of course, everything has now taken a back seat to the shocking developments in this story.
Following Marius' arrest, TuS Rockenberg released a statement expressing its shock: "After last year we were forced to deal with the sudden death of one of our teammates, the events have left us speechless again. At the moment, none of us are able to comprehend this further and severe blow."
We now place our hopes in the work of the authorities and believe in a full clarification of what happened. Due to the emotionally and extremely difficult situation for all members of our association, we will not be making any statements on the ongoing investigations.
"We therefore ask you to kindly and persistently refrain from directing requests or questions to players, coaches and managers. We thank you very much for your understanding."
