Racism scandal in the DFB Cup: Hertha star bursts into tears - referee with questionable explanation

The racism scandal surrounding Jordan Torunarigha from Hertha BSC is making waves. Why wasn't the game interrupted? The referee provides a questionable explanation.

• A racism scandal overshadowed the cup round of 16 between FC Schalke 04 and Hertha BSC .
• The Berlin Jordan Torunarigha was put off in the extension.
• The German-Nigerian had previously been insulted by individual fans.

Update from February 5, 5:22 p.m .: After the racist hostility of some fans against Jordan Torunarigha , the question arises: Why was the DFB Cup match between FC Schalke 04 and Hertha BSC not interrupted? To explain: In the summer of 2019, FIFA Secretary General Fatma Samoura sent a circular to all members of the football association to apply the “three-step plan” to racist hostility in all competitions. Said plan looks like this:

• Stage 1: The game should be stopped and a stadium announcement must be made in which the racist insults are pointed out.
• Level 2: Interrupt the game. If the behavior of the relevant persons does not change, the referee must interrupt the game, send the teams into the cabin and make another announcement.
• Level 3: If further insults occur after the game has been resumed, the referee should cancel the match in the last step.

Referee Harm Osmers, however, did not follow either of these steps. The question arises: why? Peter Sippel, who works in the Elite Referee team at the DFB, told sportschau.de: "Harm Osmers found out about the incident for the first time after regular season and before extra time." Insults pointed out. However, according to Osmers, the incident occurred around the 70th minute. For this reason, an announcement "would no longer have been possible to establish the context," said Sippel. In addition, Osmers himself had not heard the incident. He therefore refrained from making an announcement.

DFB Cup: Racism scandal - Torunarigha cries, Sarpei calls for reaction

Update from February 5, 1:08 p.m .: After the racism scandal at the DFB-Pokal game between Hertha BSC and FC Schalke 04, ex-squire Hans Sarpei has now also spoken via Twitter. In the style of a tweet from Schalke ("Good night, Schalke! Dream something beautiful ...") Sarpei writes: "I dreamed that racism no longer exists in Germany. Then I read about the action against Torunarigha . Please dear FC Schalke, take a clear position on this. "

I dreamed that racism no longer existed. Then I read about the action against @Jordanynany. Please prefer, @ s04 take a clear position on this and # stand on https://t.co/wIKauzl4RZ

A few hours later, Schalke published a statement, Sarpei reacted again and tweeted an emoji with clasped hands and the hashtag "together" and "get up".

@ s04 # up! #GEtogether pic.twitter.com/nckk2vkXGB

DFB-Pokal: Racism scandal - Hertha star howls - "Humanly repulsive"

Update from February 5, 10.49 a.m .: The game became a side note on Tuesday evening, in the foreground was an ugly racism scandal. During the DFB Cup game between FC Schalke 04 and Hertha BSC , Berlin defender Jordan Torunarigha had been racially attacked by some fans. He burst into tears on the pitch, a little later the 22-year-old flew off the pitch in yellow and red.

Immediately after the game, both camps were shocked by the racist hostility, Schalke sports director Jochen Schneider emphasized: “The club has zero tolerance for such behavior. We will do everything we can to find out who is responsible and to prove the consequences. "Now the Royal Blues have responded in the form of an official statement and write:" FC Schalke 04 takes the statements of the player from Hertha BSC, Jordan Torunarigha, very serious about racist statements and sounds against him during the cup match on Tuesday evening (February 4th). "

Zero tolerance for incidents during the Hertha game ⤵️ # S04 | ⚪️ | # S04BSC

Together with the Gelsenkirchen police, the security service and internal sources, the case will be examined in detail, it is said. In their statement, however, the miners remained silent about the following steps.

DFB Cup: Racism scandal overshadows game on Schalke - Hertha star flies off the pitch

First report from February 4: Gelsenkirchen - "The boy has been insulted," said Hertha coach Jürgen Klinsmann after the 2: 3 after extra time: "We told the referees that they had to protect him."

National player Niklas Stark spoke of "monkey noises" and confirmed: "There were racial insults from the stands. Jordan is an emotional player. If something like this happened, I would probably be freaked out too. Something like that is totally repulsive." The incidents are said to have occurred in the second half.

DFB Cup: Hertha players racially insulted at match on Schalke

Schalke's sports director Jochen Schneider apologized to the German-Nigerian and found clear words. "There is zero tolerance there. I lack any understanding of such idiots of this kind," said Schneider, and announced: "We will do everything we can to find those who are responsible and to prove the consequences."

Torunarigha "cried on the pitch and wanted to stop," said Schalke's goal scorer Benito Raman : "I gave him courage and told him to continue."

DFB international Antonio Rüdiger is said to have been a victim of racism in his Chelsea FC's London derby at Tottenham Hotspur. The police have investigated.

Video: Again and again racists abuse football for baiting

Monkey sounds from the stands: Torunarigha flies from the square

In the extension of the cup thriller on Tuesday, the visibly angry Hertha defender saw the yellow-red card (100th): After an attack by Omar Mascarell, he had thrown a crate of drinks on the edge of the field. Schalke coach David Wagner , who held him lightly, received the red card (102.) after video evidence.

"I didn't hear the calls, but I would like to apologize on behalf of Schalke 04, that shouldn't be the case," said Wagner.

#Wagner on racial abuse towards Jordan Torunarigha: "If such an incident occurred, then I would like to apologize to the player and to his club on behalf of FC Schalke 04." # S04 | # S04BSC pic.twitter.com/Fq0spbfZkd

For the spectators who insulted Torunarigha, he called for quick consequences: "In England, the one is immediately packed and then out," said the coach, who coached Huddersfield Town from 2015 to 2019.

nc / sid

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List of rubric lists: © AFP / INA FASSBENDER