The youth coach worked on the FC Bayern campus
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The youth coach, dismissed because of a racism allegation at the German soccer record champions Bayern Munich, defends himself against the anonymously raised allegations. As his lawyers announced in a statement, a lawsuit was filed with the Munich Labor Court on Wednesday.
"With the lawsuit, our client is defending himself against his dismissal. The termination facts will now be subjected to judicial control," the statement said.
After the separation, a criminal investigation / examination procedure was initiated ex officio. In this process, the anonymously raised allegations are checked by the Munich police. "Our client is cooperating with the investigative authorities," said the lawyers.
The WDR magazine "Sport Inside" first reported on the suspicion of racism on the Bayern campus at the beginning of August. Accordingly, serious allegations would be made against the employee, who had been active as a trainer in the youth department since 2003 and was promoted to sports director of the U9 to U15 teams in 2016. The employee allegedly used racist expressions in discussions about the obligation of players. "Sport Inside" referred to documents such as letters and chat histories that the magazine should have available. Thereupon the state security initiated an investigation.
Research by SPIEGEL showed that the statements fit into the image that the accused conveyed on campus with his demeanor, his tone and his methods. He is said to have discriminated against players because of their skin color, nationality or alleged homosexuality and also because of their religious affiliation.
After separating from the employee, FC Bayern initially stated that the employment relationship had been terminated by mutual agreement. The club also stated that the "underlying issues" would be further investigated independently.
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