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No longer stadium announcer: Mirko Linke
Photo:
Gabor Krieg / IMAGO / Picture Point
The Saxon fourth division club Lokomotive Leipzig has separated from its stadium announcer Mirko Linke.
The club announced this in a statement on Thursday.
The reason for this is a post by Linke on social media.
"After the publication of a completely unacceptable graphic on social media, which violates the values of 1. FC Lok, the club ended its cooperation with stadium announcer Mirko Linke." The club is committed to loyalty, respect, fairness and tolerance and stand up »actively and consistently against all forms of discrimination, racism and anti-Semitism.«
Linke has since deleted the graphic.
Screenshots are still circulating on Twitter.
Apparently it was a story on Instagram.
The picture shows a bald man, probably the advertising character Master Proper.
The man is wearing large mirrored sunglasses.
The access road to the Nazi concentration camp in Auschwitz is reflected in the lenses of the glasses.
Below it is written »Good night Green White...«.
Green and white are the colors of local rivals Chemie Leipzig.
Linke is also quoted in the club announcement.
“I made an unintentional mistake and formally apologized to the club.
I understand and accept the club's decision.«
Often problems with the right
The club once played as VfB Leipzig in the 1993/94 season for a year in the Bundesliga.
This was followed by financial difficulties and a sporting relegation.
In the vicinity of Lok Leipzig there were always right-wing extremist incidents.
When right-wing hooligans left a trail of devastation through the left-wing district of Connewitz in 2016, numerous locomotive fans were among the perpetrators.
Even after that, there were reports of spectators shouting right-wing slogans, or of a youth team in which several players showed the Hitler salute in the team photo.
According to the association, the problem has now been recognized.
The trainer, who is said to have asked the young people to do the Hitler salute, was fired before the story broke.
And among the fans there are now many who are clearly opposed to right-wing extremism.
kyo
