A Schalke player reported being called the N-word during a German Cup match, prompting a temporary halt and sustained booing by away fans after play resumed. In a separate Potsdam cup match, spectators helped identify three people accused of racially abusing a Kaiserslautern player, and both sets of fans chanted "Nazis out!". Several players faced racist attacks on social media, including Nadiem Amiri, Arnaud Nordin and Kelsey Owusu. FIFA President Gianni Infantino condemned the abuse, called for investigations and punishments, and reiterated sanctions such as fines, point deductions and stadium bans. The DFB control committee opened an investigation and may refer cases to its sports court; DFB President Bernd Neuendorf emphasized zero tolerance and the association's anti-racism initiatives.
In the German Cup match between second-division side Schalke and fourth-tier club Lokomotiv Leipzig, Black Schalke player Christopher Antwi-Adjei delayed a throw-in to tell first the assistant referee, then the head referee, that he had been called the N-word by someone in the stands. The referee temporarily halted the contest as a result. After it resumed, Antwi-Adjei was booed by Leipzig fans every time he touched the ball.
The fans' reaction to an incident during a cup match in Potsdam, near Berlin, was different. After a player from the visiting team, Kaiserslautern, was racially abused, other spectators helped identify three perpetrators. Both sets of fans chanted "Nazis out!" in unison. There were also racist attacks via social media against Germany player Nadiem Amiri and his teammate, Arnaud Nordin, of Mainz, as well as Kelsey Owusu of Rot-Weiss Essen.
FIFA President Gianni Infantino described the incidents as "unacceptable" and "horrific" and demanded that the events be thoroughly investigated and the perpetrators punished. Is it unusual for Infantino to speak out? No, the FIFA boss has declared the fight against racism in football to be one of his organization's top priorities. Infantino also spoke out about recent incidents of racism in England, Spain and Italy. "Fines for clubs, point deductions for teams, and stadium bans for fans are all we can do," Infantino said at a United Nations event in Vienna last May.
Collection
[
|
...
]