German Olympic team leaves the field after racist remarks

The German Olympic team left the field during a training match against Honduras in Wakayama, Japan. The team decided to stop the exhibition match due to racist comments against defender Jordan Torunarigha. The German Football Association made the announcement on Twitter.

“If one of our players is the victim of racial insults, it is not an option for us to continue playing,” said Stefan Kuntz, national coach of the German Olympic team. The team left the football field five minutes before the final signal with a score of 1-1.

“Racist comments were made by an opponent”

The racist remarks did not come from the stands because the match was played behind closed doors. It is not yet clear who exactly is responsible for the comments to Torunarigha, 23, but according to the German Football Association, they were made by one of the opponents.

💬 Stefan Kuntz: “If one of our players is the victim of racial insults, it is not an option for us to continue playing. “#WirfuerD #GERHON @TeamD https://t.co/ZUtXqcUxZC pic.twitter.com/PqrUlY8OGp

– Team Germany | Football (@DFB_Junioren) July 17, 2021

During the Tokyo Olympics, Germany and Honduras both play in a different group. The German team will kick off the group stage next Thursday against Brazil in Group D. On the same day, Honduras will play their first game against Romania in Group B. Germany will then play against Romania. Ivory Coast and Saudi Arabia. Honduras will still face South Korea and New Zealand in the group stage. Number one and two of the four groups in total will advance to the quarter-finals. The Netherlands failed to qualify for the Olympics.

The Germans have a difficult preparation for the Games. After numerous cancellations, the German team were able to travel to Japan with 15 outfielders and three goalkeepers, while a 22-player squad is allowed.

Players also had to deal with racism during the European Championship

During the European Championship, players also had to deal with racism. During the match between France and Hungary in Budapest, Hungarian fans made monkey noises at French footballers Kylian Mbappé and Karim Benzema. UEFA has launched an investigation into the behavior of supporters. In the past, Hungary has been regularly sanctioned by the football authorities. These sanctions were also linked to racism among fans.

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