Hannover 96 officials found a dead sheep hanging from a fence near their training pitch as the team prepared for the Lower Saxony derby against Eintracht Braunschweig on Sunday, according a report from Reuters.
"It was a despicable act of some individuals. It is unacceptable and perverse," Hanover sports director Dirk Dufner told Reuters.
The dead sheep was painted the green of Hannover 96 and was found hanging from the fence with a sign that said: "On Sunday your time is up, you filthy animals", according to the report.
It was unclear who had hung the sheep. Police were notified, the report said.