Because of racist insults: Herthas U16 stops game, opponent denies allegations

According to the Berlin soccer club, U16 youth players from Hertha BSC have been racially insulted by their opponents in the regional league game at VfB Auerbach and have therefore stopped the game.

The team informed the referee on Saturday and decided to leave the field in the 68th minute when the score was 2-0, the club said. Auerbach regretted the incidents, but defends himself in a statement against the accusation of racism.

"We have a responsibility to ourselves, to our players and also to society. We take this responsibility very seriously, so it was the only right decision not to continue this game," said Paul Keuter, member of the Hertha management. "Perhaps this measure is a wake-up call that we all together - players, clubs, associations and fans - will finally master this (sic) problem."

Fighting and pack formation

"With great regret, VfB Auerbach took Hertha BSC's U16 move to end the regional league game prematurely. VfB Auerbach is against the accusation of racism," said the opponent. Neither the referee nor the assistants noticed a racist statement. The referee team confirmed this to VfB after the game.

"It is clear that it was a hot game. During the game, the Auerbach players had to endure insulting statements from their opponents," he said. According to VfB, a free kick for Berlin in front of the Auerbach penalty area, which resulted in wrangling and pack formation, had to leave the field of the Berlin players. The association will investigate all allegations internally.

Last week, after a regional league game between Berlin's second team and 1. FC Lok Leipzig, Hertha's U23 player Jessic Ngankam reported that he had been offended by a monkey lute from the Leipzig fan curve and by the word monkey from an opponent. The game had been interrupted for several minutes. Lok had distanced himself from racist behavior, Hertha "sharply condemned" racist hostility "against his player. The club leadership of Berlin admitted on Monday that it had waited too long to make a public statement.