After the racist insults against the U21 internationals Youssoufa Moukoko and Jessic Ngankam, the German Football Association (DFB) has announced legal action.
The association has decided “that we will take criminal action against these people,” said Joti Chatzialexiou, sporting director of the national teams in the association, on Friday (June 23, 2023) in Batumi.
The DFB will try to “do everything possible to hold these perpetrators and people accountable”. It was necessary to “simply stand up to these people”. The association also wants to work with the providers to ensure that “accounts are deleted”. According to Chatzialexiou, he does not know to what extent something like this is possible, including from a legal point of view.
In a statement, the DFB addressed clear words to the people who wrote insulting comments: “You disgust us, you are not fans, we don’t need you, we don’t want you,” the association tweeted on Friday.
Comments follow missed penalties
The two strikers each missed a penalty when the German team drew 1-1 at the start of the European Championship against Israel in Kutaisi, Georgia, and thus missed the best chance of a win.
Moukoko then reported racist comments against himself and Ngankam on social media. Coach Antonio Di Salvo described discrimination, hate speech and racism on the Internet as “cowardly” and “disgusting”. “This is the very bottom drawer,” said Di Salvo. Such people are “themselves a fringe group and cowards because they would never dare to say it personally.”
Interior Minister Nancy Faeser also condemned the insults and spoke of “inhuman and disgusting” comments on Twitter: “Our national players show the best side of our modern and diverse Germany, these racist comments show the ugliest side.”
Ngankam combative: “You can’t do anything to me”
Jessic Ngankam was combative – and in a good mood. He thanked Instagram for the “many encouraging comments” he had received. “It’s bad that in 2023 there are still ‘people’ hiding behind anonymous accounts to rabble racistly,” he also wrote: “You can’t do anything to me.”
The focus should be on sports
Before the second group game against the Czech Republic, Di Salvo also commented on the reaction of the DFB selection. “The team has now sent a clear signal: we’re only concentrating on the sporting side, we won’t let ourselves be divided, we are one,” said the national coach. You want to show that on the pitch now. He will therefore no longer speak about the attacks against his players.
On Friday morning it was initially said that the DFB delegation in Georgia, including the players, was planning an action to protest against the racists and show their solidarity with the players currently affected. According to Chatzialexiou, this was refrained from in consultation with the team: “We respect that. The team said they wanted to show a reaction on the pitch.”