After the racism scandal in the 3rd division: Cacau pleads against blanket terminations - amateurs have to act

Created: 12/28/2021, 02:08 PM

By: Korbinian Kothny

Aaron Opoku (left) was racially insulted in the third division game MSV Duisburg against VfL Osnabrück.

Ex-national player Cacau (right) recommends proceeding in the amateur area.

© Imago images

For the first time in Germany, a professional football match was canceled due to an incident of racism.

But what can amateur football do against racism?

Munich

- “Sad.” “Shocked.” “Speechless.” Those were the clear voices after referee Nicolas Winter was forced to make a strong statement. For the first time on December 19, a game in German professional football was canceled due to a racist incident. For ex-international Cacau the right approach, as the player Aaron Opoku was obviously traumatized by the events and could not have continued playing. On the other hand, the former integration officer of the DFB sees a general abandonment of the game after racist incidents problematic: “This would offer a single person a platform. She would then determine over a thousand other viewers with her action. "

Background: In the third division game between MSV Duisburg and VfL Osnabrück, the VfL striker is said to have been racially insulted by a spectator while taking the corner.

According to the referee, both the player and his assistant immediately heard the monkey sounds from the stands and communicated them to him.

With the help of the fans and stewards, the spectator was immediately identified and expelled from the stadium.

A procedure that in most cases is not possible in the amateur field.

So how should mass sport deal with such statements, which unfortunately happen again and again on German soccer fields?

Racism in the amateur sector: Everyone needs to work together - amateurs have to act

Because hardly anyone doubts that racist statements are not only a problem in professional football. According to the West German Football Association (WDFV), around 2,000 incidents of discrimination have been officially registered in North Rhine-Westphalia since 2017. These are not exclusively racist statements, but they also flow into the number.

The figures confirm that racism is also omnipresent in amateur football.

But how can an association deal with incidents of racism when it actually comes to that?

To leave this task to the impartial is simply impossible.

After all, in Upper Bavaria there are only assistant referees from the district league and in all amateur leagues usually only one folder, which is provided by the home club.

Not to mention video or sound surveillance.

An interaction between referees, players, officials and fans is therefore required.

“The volunteers are also dependent on the help of the audience”.

Cacau appeals to viewers to act rigorously in the event of racist statements.

At least that's where Cacau is now. "Since there are not cameras everywhere, the volunteers are also dependent on the help of the audience," explains the 40-year-old in an interview with SPOX and GOAL. Ideally, the former player from Türkgücü Munich imagines the procedure as follows: "If something like this happens, you should identify this person, report it to the police and, if possible, ban them from the field".

But what does it actually look like on our amateur pitches? Is the procedure called for by Cacau wishful thinking or lived reality? There are no studies on this. It is therefore up to the clubs to exemplify and enforce a zero tolerance policy for their fans, players, coaches and those responsible. Sure, emotions and trash talk on the pitch are part of it, but racism has absolutely nothing to do with emotions or sportsmanship. The club has to show a clear line here. This is the only way for amateur football in Germany to be the sport that best manages to bring people from very different, social, cultural and ethnic backgrounds together. And that should be the goal of everyone who lives and loves amateur football (kk)