RB Leipzig had demanded better protection for their away games in the North-Rhine Westphalia (NRW) region as early as November, the state's home affairs select committee has confirmed.
The weekend's violence prior to Leipzig's Bundesliga match at Borussia Dortmund in the NRW region entered the political realm on Thursday, having already prompted calls for significant action from within the game.
Four Leipzig fans and four police officers were injured in clashes outside the Westfalenstadion after they were attacked by Dortmund fans, who belonged to a group of around 350 to 400 that had gathered in front of a beer garden at the street leading towards the stadium.
On Monday, a Dortmund police spokesperson confirmed to ESPN FC that, after the force learned about the fans' gathering point, officers were sent to the beer garden and Leipzig's team bus was sent on a different route to the stadium.
Local paper WAZ reported on Thursday that RB Leipzig had asked for better protection for their away games in North-Rhine Westphalia in November following previous incidents prior to matches in Cologne and Bayer Leverkusen.
The report was confirmed by NRW Home Secretary Ralf Jager in the home affairs select committee.
"RB Leipzig asked to redirect their team bus in Dortmund following the two attacks on it in the past," he said.
Jager suggested that the attackers may have been intending to attack the bus but, when it did not show up, turned on the Leipzig supporters.
"It's speculation whether that [the new bus route] led to the violence or not," he said.
Despite the early warning signals, the match was not designated as "high security" beforehand, and 237 police officers were on duty last Saturday. A Leipzig supporter, who was part of the group attacked, told ESPN FC this week that they felt unprotected by police, but the NRW police chief of staff, Bernd Heinen, said on Thursday they did not underestimate the potential for conflict.
He was backed by Home Secretary Jager, who warned it was essential to "not confuse cause and effect," adding: "Offenders involved in the beatings should not be hidden from view, and the question of whether stewards and police officers on site were responsible should not be given priority."
It was also confirmed on Thursday that a total of 32 criminal proceedings have been opened against those involved in the riots outside the ground, but also against those displaying derogatory banners on the stands of the Westfalenstadion.
While the clarification of last Saturday's events is still ongoing, senior figures from Borussia Dortmund and RB Leipzig met in a Berlin hotel on Thursday, and later released a joint statement.
It read: "BVB President Dr. Reinhard Rauball and Hans-Joachim Watzke, Chief Executive Officer, apologised to RB Leipzig's C.E.O., Oliver Mintzlaff, and Sporting Director Ralf Rangnick for what happened last Saturday."
The statement added that "representatives from both clubs are in complete agreement that a future repetition of such incidents as witnessed on Saturday must be prevented" and that "relationships at management level must be further built up while communication needs to be intensified."
Following the violence, Dortmund's hierarchy had come under criticism for statements directed at RB Leipzig from several quarters, including Germany head coach Joachim Low.
Leipzig, founded by Red Bull in 2009 and playing in the Bundesliga for the first time this season, have faced protests from clubs throughout Germany due to the manner in which the club's success has been funded.
Many Dortmund fans held up banners during Wednesday's DFB Pokal meeting with Hertha Berlin to express their disapproval of the violence, but the German FA (DFB) wants to issue a one-match ban for the fans in the Sudtribune.