GERMAN FANS IN RACE STORM OVER CITY DUO
ThE German Fa have condemned their own supporters after manchester City pair Ilkay Gundogan and Leroy sane were subjected to racist abuse during Wednesday’s friendly against serbia.
It is alleged the term ‘negro’ was aimed at sane, and Gundogan was abused for his Turkish heritage in the 1-1 draw.
The slurs, which allegedly included neo-nazi chants and references to adolf hitler, emanated from the home end at Wolfsburg’s Volkswagen arena.
Three men, aged between 30 and 40, handed themselves in to Wolfsburg Police yesterday, with Bayern munich midfielder Leon Goretzka left ‘appalled’.
‘Xenophobia and racism have no place in the stadium or in society,’ Goretzka said.
‘For us, integration is not an issue, it’s a fact of life.
‘I call for all of us to tackle this kind of behaviour with courage and put these people in their place.’
Gundogan was embroiled in controversy before last summer’s World Cup after posing for a picture with Turkish president Recep Tayyip Erdogan.
mesut ozil, also of Turkish descent, was in the shot with Gundogan and retired from international football after Germany were dumped out of the tournament, citing ‘racism and disrespect’.
Wednesday’s scenes were the latest embarrassment as Germany tackles a racist element among its supporters. The German Fa said: ‘Thanks to the support of a fan, the dFB was able to locate the ticket buyer for the seats where the spectators were sitting. The police are now investigating.’
Borussia dortmund winger marco Reus added: ‘We stand for diversity. The colour doesn’t matter.’