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Anti-Semitic abuse at match
06/10/2006 16:55 - (SA)
Berlin - A Berlin lower-league club has complained to German soccer authorities about anti-Semitic chants they faced at a recent match.
Players from the Jewish club TuS Makkabi in the Berlin district league, five divisions below the Bundesliga, walked off the pitch in protest in the 78th minute of the match at VSG
Altglienicke in east Berlin.
They said the referee had refused to intervene when fans and
some players chanted "Gas the Jews", "Auschwitz is back" and
"Fuehrer, Fuehrer".
TuS Makkabi chairperson Tuvia Schlesinger said his club were
upset that the host team later accused Makkabi players of
provoking the abuse.
"It's scandalous that they're turning this around and saying
Makkabi players tried to provoke them," Schlesinger said.
Football Association president Theo Zwanziger, who has
vowed to crack down on racism, spoke to Berlin soccer bosses
about the incident and how they planned to respond.
Referee Klaus Bruening said in his report that he did not
hear any anti-Semitic chants, although Makkabi players had
repeatedly complained to him about them.
"Because I did not hear anything myself, I could not do
anything," Bruening wrote in his report.
Berlin soccer federation president Bernd Schultz said
his organisation would issue racism guidelines to referees and
clubs this month.
- Reuters
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