A racist insult against Christopher Antwi-Adjei overshadowed Schalke’s cup victory over Lok Leipzig in August. Now the DFB has filed charges.
Two months ago, Schalke 04 struggled into the second round of the DFB Cup thanks to a 1-0 victory after extra time at Lok Leipzig. However, there was little joy at progressing to the next round.
A racist incident overshadowed the match when a fan of the host regional league team insulted S04 pro Christopher Antwi-Adjei with the N-word. Afterwards, Schalke’s offensive player was booed by numerous Lok supporters.
Schalke: €30,000 fine and partial stadium closure for Lok Leipzig?
Two months later, the German Football Association (DFB) sports court filed criminal charges against Leipzig. According to media reports, the Saxons are to be fined €30,000. Another condition could also prove costly for the club: part of the stadium is to be closed to spectators for the next DFB Cup match, namely the opposite stand, known as the Dammsitz. This could mean a five-figure loss of revenue. It was from this area of the Bruno Plache Stadium that the insult against Antwi-Adjei was hurled.
A final judgment has not yet been handed down. In any case, Leipzig apparently plans to appeal. “We do not agree with the DFB’s criminal complaint in its current form,” sports director Toni Wachsmuth is quoted as saying by the online portal “Tag24.” The combination of penalties would reach a level that would be very, very difficult for a regional league club to bear, says Wachsmuth. Antwi-Adjei was about to take a throw-in when he heard the discriminatory remark and then informed the referees. After a short interruption, the ball rolled again, and Antwi-Adjei had to endure loud boos every time he touched the ball until the final whistle. “It’s very disappointing to have to experience something like this nowadays,” said the 31-year-old after the final whistle. The police launched an investigation, and Lok Leipzig apologized to Antwi-Adjei. The incident caused quite a stir, with even FIFA President Gianni Infantino commenting on it afterwards.