FIFA President Infantino Condemns Racist Abuse in German Cup Matches

By Ugbede James

FIFA President Gianni Infantino has strongly condemned incidents of racist abuse reported during two German Cup games over the weekend, describing them as “unacceptable.

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The clash between Lokomotive Leipzig and Schalke on Sunday was halted after Schalke winger Christopher Antwi-Adjei alleged he was racially abused by home fans.

The game resumed after a public announcement condemned racism, but the player was repeatedly booed by sections of the crowd. Lokomotive later issued an apology.

In another fixture, Kaiserslautern players also reported racial abuse from a supporter during their match against RSV Eintracht.

Infantino said FIFA would continue to work with the German FA (DFB) to tackle the issue. “There is no place for racism in football,” he stressed.

The incidents came just days after Bournemouth forward Antoine Semenyo was racially abused during a Premier League match at Liverpool, prompting police action and widespread condemnation.

Infantino said it was “absolutely unacceptable” that such cases had occurred twice in recent days, vowing that world football’s governing body would closely monitor developments.