A racist insult against Christopher Antwi-Adjei overshadowed Schalke’s cup victory over Lok Leipzig in August. Now there is a ruling, but Lok does not want to accept it.
Two and a half months ago, Schalke 04 struggled into the second round of the DFB Cup thanks to a 1-0 extra-time victory at Lok Leipzig. However, there was little joy at progressing. 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.
Today, Tuesday, the DFB’s sports court handed down its verdict. The Saxons were fined €30,000, a third of which can be used for preventive measures against discrimination and racism.
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. This concerns the lower tier of the grandstand (256 seats) and the dam seats (1,200 spectators). It was from this area of the Bruno Plache Stadium that the insult against Antwi-Adjei was hurled. The fan ban could mean a loss of revenue in the five-figure range. However, it remains to be seen whether and when Lok Leipzig will play in the DFB Cup again.
The verdict is not yet final, and Lok Leipzig intends to appeal. “Racism is inexcusable and cannot be justified by anything! In the past, we as a club have repeatedly taken a clear and unambiguous stand against any form of discrimination and will continue to do so in the future,” emphasizes managing director Martin Mieth in a statement.
However, he goes on to explain that the amount of the fine is unreasonable for a fourth-division club. “With the possible partial exclusion of spectators at the next DFB Cup match, a total penalty in the high five-digit range is on the table – which would be significantly more than one percent of our annual turnover. To illustrate this clearly: for an average Bundesliga club, this would mean a penalty in the millions.”
However, if the appeal announced by Leipzig is unsuccessful, the club will try to pass the penalty on to those responsible. “If this is not possible, we will have to consider where we can save this money, which we will then lack for the further development of our infrastructure and the team,” says Mieth.
The incident occurred in the early stages of the cup match. 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 whistles 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.