Latest news with #ChristopherAntwi-Adjei
Toronto Sun
a day ago
- Sport
- Toronto Sun
FIFA President condemns 'unacceptable' racism after incidents
Infantino said FIFA's Players' Voice Panel would be "in touch" with the German soccer federation. Published Aug 18, 2025 • 2 minute read Schalke's Christopher Antwi-Adjei stands for a throw-in during the German soccer cup first round match between Lok Leipzig and FC Schalke 04 in Leipzig, Germany, Sunday Aug. 17, 2025. Photo by Jan Woitas / dpa via AP Reviews and recommendations are unbiased and products are independently selected. Postmedia may earn an affiliate commission from purchases made through links on this page. ZURICH — FIFA President Gianni Infantino says that two incidents of alleged racist abuse which marred German Cup games are 'unacceptable' as German police investigate. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. THIS CONTENT IS RESERVED FOR SUBSCRIBERS ONLY Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Unlimited online access to articles from across Canada with one account. Get exclusive access to the Toronto Sun ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment on. Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists. Support local journalists and the next generation of journalists. Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword. SUBSCRIBE TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Unlimited online access to articles from across Canada with one account. Get exclusive access to the Toronto Sun ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment on. Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists. Support local journalists and the next generation of journalists. Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword. REGISTER / SIGN IN TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account. Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments. Enjoy additional articles per month. Get email updates from your favourite authors. THIS ARTICLE IS FREE TO READ REGISTER TO UNLOCK. Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments Enjoy additional articles per month Get email updates from your favourite authors Don't have an account? Create Account Infantino's comments came a day after Schalke's Christopher Antwi-Adjei said he was subjected to racist abuse in a cup game at Lokomotive Leipzig. He was whistled by fans throughout the match after reporting the incident to officials. In another incident, a Kaiserslautern substitute was racially abused while warming up in a game at RSV Eintracht, the team's coach said. He didn't name the player affected. Both incidents occurred as lower-league clubs from the former East Germany hosted larger teams in first-round games. 'It is unacceptable that incidents have occurred at two DFB-Pokal matches in Germany,' Infantino wrote on social media, using the German name for the competition. 'Football has no place for racism or any form of discrimination.' Your noon-hour look at what's happening in Toronto and beyond. By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. Please try again This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Infantino said FIFA's Players' Voice Panel would be 'in touch' with the German soccer federation. 'Everyone at FIFA, The Players' Voice Panel and the whole football community stands firmly with all those impacted by these events — we are committed to ensuring that players are respected and protected, and that competition organizers and law enforcement authorities take appropriate action,' Infantino added. Antwi-Adjei filed a complaint about the incident at Lokomotive Leipzig and police were investigating, Schalke said late Sunday. At RSV Eintracht, fans and security quickly identified the alleged perpetrator and fans of both teams chanted 'Nazis out,' German agency dpa reported. The German soccer federation's president, Bernd Neuendorf, said it had already launched its own investigations into the two games. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. 'Racism and discrimination, hatred and exclusion have no place in football. We stand for diversity and respect. And alongside those affected and with those who stand up for our values,' Neuendorf said in a statement. The incidents in Germany came two days after Bournemouth forward Antoine Semenyo reported that he was racially abused by a spectator while playing at Liverpool. The game was briefly paused as the referee spoke to the coaches and captains of both teams. Police said Saturday that a 47-year-old man from Liverpool was arrested on suspicion of a racially aggravated public order offense. He was released on conditional bail Monday, police said, with a stipulation that he cannot attend soccer games in Britain. Infantino has said FIFA's Players' Voice Panel would contact Semenyo. Columnists Canada World Sunshine Girls Relationships
DW
a day ago
- Politics
- DW
Germany updates: Pakistan deports German-approved Afghans – DW – 08/18/2025
Over 200 Afghans with approval for resettlement in Germany were instead sent back to Taliban-ruled Afghanistan after seeking temporary refuge in Pakistan. DW has more. Germany's Foreign Office has said more than 200 Afghans who were approved for resettlement in Germany were deported back to Taliban-ruled Afghanistan from Pakistan, where they had been temporarily living. And new statistics show that the German Federal Government paid out over $20 billion in 2024 to people unable to earn a living on their own. The increase in spending comes as the government is facing a massive budget shortfall. Finance Minister Lars Klingbeil told German public media that he can not rule out tax increases to fill holes in the Foreign Ministry said Monday that 211 Afghans who were approved for resettlement in Germany were deported back to Taliban-ruled Afghanistan from Pakistan, where they had been temporarily living. Around 450 Afghans with German admission permits have been detained in Pakistan in preparation for deportation, according to a Foreign Ministry spokesperson According to the spokesperson, the German Foreign Ministry is in contact with the Pakistani authorities and is working to try and protect the Afghans. More 2,000 Afghans who received a promise of admission from Germany after the Taliban takeover in August 2021 are still waiting to leave neighboring Pakistan for Germany. These include human rights defenders, lawyers, teachers, or journalists, who fear persecution under the radical Islamic Taliban in Afghanistan. After the withdrawal of German troops, Germany had promised refuge from the Taliban to local staff who had supported Germany, as well as other Afghans facing persecution who fled to Pakistan. Among them, according to the German Interior Ministry, are about 350 former local staff of German institutions and their families. For over a year, Pakistan has been deporting large numbers of Afghan refugees. Germany's government has also paused resettlement plans, as it promised to get tougher on migration after taking office earlier this year. To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video The German Football Federation (DFB) has launched an investigation after incidents of racist abuse were reported at two German Cup matches on Sunday. "The supervisory committee is investigating the incidents and initiating investigations against the respective clubs," a spokesman for the DFB told Germany's DPA news agency on Monday. During a match between lower-league Eintracht Stahnsdorf and second-tier Kaiserslautern at Karl Liebknecht Stadium in Potsdam, located just outside of Berlin, a visiting player who was warming up on the sideline appeared to be insulted from the crowd. The person who shouted the insults was quickly identified. Another match between second-tier Schalke and fourth division Leipzig Lok was briefly suspended after Schalke's Christopher Antwi-Adjei had a confrontation with fans. Antwi-Adjei reported the incident to the assistant referee. "Not everyone said it. I reckon it was an isolated shout. I hope the person thinks twice about those words." Leipzig said racist abuse could not be confirmed by anyone else. FIFA President Gianni Infantino said "there is no place for racism" in football, and added that he expected the DFB to clarify what happened and punish those responsible. On Monday, German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul met with his Japanese counterpart Takeshi Iwaya in Tokyo. During a press conference, Wadephul praised democracy and adherence to the rule of law as shared values, something he said was important in "a time of crises and conflict." Wadephul singled out China's "increasingly aggressive" behavior in the Taiwan Strait and the East and South China seas, as the primary threat to order in the Asia Pacific. "China repeatedly threatens, more or less openly, to unilaterally change the status quo and shift borders in its favor," Wadephul said. To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video Facing a looming gap in the 2027 federal budget, German Finance Minister Lars Klingbeil is not ruling out tax increases. A comprehensive package is needed to fill a €30 billion gap, the Social Democrat leader and vice chancellor told public broadcaster ZDF on Monday. "I'm not ruling out any options," Klingbeil said when asked about possible tax increases. Germany's center-left Social Democrats (SPD) are part of a governing coalition with the conservative Christian Democratic Union and the CDU's Bavarian sister party, the Christian Social Union, which have generally pushed back against raising taxes. Klingbeil said the SPD has always maintained that people with super-high wealth and high incomes should contribute more. "I am not abandoning this fundamental conviction by joining a coalition. And that is why we will discuss all issues in the coalition: Where can we cut subsidies? Where can we reform these social security systems? Where can savings be made in the ministries?" Klingbeil said. The finance minister said an "enormous effort" is being undertaken to find savings in the budget, and that he expects all ministries to submit savings proposals. "This can only be achieved as a team effort," he said. In the medium-term financial plan that ends in 2029, the planned new debt comes in at €851 billion. Between 2027 and 2029, there will still be a financing gap of around €172 billion. In 2024, social welfare agencies in Germany spent a net total of €20.2 billion ($23.6 billion) on benefits, amounting to a year-on-year increase of nearly 15%, according to data released Monday by the Federal Statistical Office (Destatis). According to a Destatis press release, spending rose significantly in all areas of social welfare benefits covered by the data, which include all benefits for people who are unable to work and earn their own living. More than 56% of social welfare spending was attributable to basic income support for the elderly and people with reduced earning capacity, according to the Federal Ministry of Labor and Social Affairs. These benefits, which are financed entirely from federal reimbursements to the states, amounted to €11.4 billion in 2024. This represents an increase of 13.3% over the previous year. Not included in the data were expenditures related to "Bürgergeld" or the citizen's income scheme, which is support intended for job seekers that is covered under another welfare category. The uptick in welfare spending comes as Germany faces massive holes in the federal budget. This comes along with consecutive years of economic contraction. Germany's governing coalition of the conservative CDU/CSU and the SPD has begun to look at reforming the social security system to combat rising costs. Concrete proposals are currently being drafted. To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video from the Bonn online news team, and welcome to our coverage of Germany to kick off your week. Today, we are reporting on German welfare spending, along with comments from the finance minister that he is open to raising taxes on high earners. Meanwhile, the foreign minister has criticized China's support for Russia while on a visit to Japan.
Straits Times
a day ago
- Politics
- Straits Times
Schalke 04's German Cup match halted after alleged racial abuse
Sign up now: Get ST's newsletters delivered to your inbox BERLIN – A first-round German Cup match between Schalke 04 and hosts Lokomotive Leipzig was suspended on Aug 17 after visiting winger Christopher Antwi-Adjei alleged racial abuse from home fans. The match, which finished 1-0 to Schalke after Bryan Lasme's extra-time winner, was suspended for almost five minutes after Antwi-Adjei informed the referee he was racially abused by spectators. An announcement on the stadium PA was made condemning racist abuse. After the match resumed, the winger was booed repeatedly by the home fans. Speaking after the match, Antwi-Adjei said: 'I don't want to name the words that were spoken. I'm not the type of person who goes home and cries, but I find it disappointing you still hear this on the pitch these days. 'I signalled to the linesman that something had happened. It's the least I could do. I'm a normal person. This is not appropriate.' 'Quite simply, it was racism. I think it has no place on a football field or generally in society,' he added. 'There are always a few people here in the stadium who think they can get away with anything. They think they know better. But yeah, we keep going, we've progressed, and I hope such things don't happen so often in future.' Top stories Swipe. Select. Stay informed. Singapore NDR 2025 a rallying cry amid significant challenges facing Singapore, say analysts Singapore NDR 2025: The case for growing old at home in super-ageing Singapore Singapore WP urges Government to engage widely, explore all solutions following National Day Rally 2025 Opinion A 'we first' Singapore is the hardest policy for PM Lawrence Wong to deliver Singapore Age Well Neighbourhoods, job-matching by CDCs: 10 highlights from PM Wong's National Day Rally speech Singapore LTA, public transport operators join anti-vaping effort with stepped-up enforcement World Trump, tech and Texas: What's next for the US? Singapore Jail for man who tried to sneak childhood friend out of S'pore after his passport was impounded Antwi-Adjei was born in Germany but has represented Ghana three times at international level. Said Lokomotive coach Jochen Seitz: 'The football festival is tainted by a single shout. That shouldn't happen. Of course, it's difficult for a club to take action when there are still 12,000 people there. And when a single idiot shouts something like that, it basically ruins the whole thing.' Schalke coach Miron Muslic pushed back, saying it was 'is not a single person'. He added: 'We have to fight racism clearly and decisively. Too often it's downplayed as the actions of a lone individual. I believe the whole stadium sensed what had happened – and yet they whistled. 'That is not a single person. Chris was booed every time he was on the ball afterwards. That's the absolute lowest of the low.' A spokesperson from Lokomotive said the insults could not be verified. 'We couldn't verify it,' Carsten Maschulle told Sky during half-time. 'We have a member of staff who uses a wheelchair who was exactly or almost where the player was. He didn't hear anything. 'We asked around a bit, but no one heard anything. The linesman, who is obviously standing nearby during the throw-in, apparently didn't hear anything either. That's the current status. ' Lokomotive have previously come under fire for supporter groups with right-wing ideological links. In 2018, the club sacked two youth coaches for taking a picture of a group of young players performing a Nazi salute. The Aug 17 incident at the Bruno-Plache-Stadion is the latest high-profile racism incident since the European football season resumed this month. In the English Premier League opener between Liverpool and Bournemouth on Aug 15, the match was briefly halted after Antoine Semenyo reported being racially abused by a fan. Days earlier, Tottenham Hotspur condemned the online racist abuse aimed at Mathys Tel after he missed a penalty in their European Super Cup loss to Paris Saint-Germain on Aug 13. AFP
New Straits Times
2 days ago
- Sport
- New Straits Times
Schalke German Cup match halted after alleged racial abuse
BERLIN: A first-round German Cup match between Schalke and hosts Lokomotiv Leipzig was suspended on Sunday after visiting winger Christopher Antwi-Adjei alleged racial abuse from home fans. The match, which finished 1-0 to Schalke, was suspended for almost five minutes after Antwi-Adjei informed the referee he was racially abused by spectators. An announcement on the stadium PA was made condemning racist abuse. After the match resumed, the winger was booed repeatedly by the home fans. Speaking after the match, Antwi-Adjei said: "I don't want to name the words that were spoken. I'm not the type of person who goes home and cries, but I find it disappointing you still hear this on the pitch these days. "I signalled to the linesman that something had happened. It's the least I could do. "I'm a normal person. This is not appropriate." Antwi-Adjei was born in Germany but has represented Ghana three times at international level. A press spokesperson from Lokomotiv Leipzig said the insults could not be verified. "We have a member of staff sitting exactly where the player was standing. He didn't hear anything. The linesman probably didn't hear anything either," the press spokesperson told Sky Germany. Lokomotiv Leipzig have previously come under fire for supporter groups with right-wing ideological links.
Perth Now
2 days ago
- Sport
- Perth Now
Fans in racist abuse outrages at two German Cup matches
Allegations of racist abuse by fans have marred two German Cup first-round matches. Second-tier Schalke's 1-0 extra-time win at fourth division Lokomotive Leipzig was suspended briefly after Schalke's Christopher Antwi-Adjei had a confrontation with fans. Leipzig said racist abuse could not be confirmed by anyone else, but the player was adamant afterwards. "It's not acceptable, not in this day and age, not at all," said Antwi-Adjei, who reported the incident to the assistant referee. "Quite simply, it was racism. I think it has no place on a football field or generally in society. I don't want to repeat the words that were used, but it's disappointing. "I'm not the type to go home and cry, but still it's disappointing that it happens on the field these days." After the short suspension, Antwi-Adjei was booed every time he touched the ball by Leipzig fans. The German-born Ghana international said: "There are always a few people here in the stadium who think they can get away with anything. They think they know better." Schalke captain Kenan Karaman said. "It overshadows the whole game. I signalled straight away to the referee that we wouldn't continue if it didn't stop, and luckily the referee reacted. "Then the announcement came in the stadium that this kind of thing isn't tolerated and that it has no place in sport. I'm glad that Christopher handled it well and still played a good game." Meanwhile a Kaiserslautern substitute warming up on the sidelines during the second half of the tie at Eintracht Stanhsdorf appeared to receive an insult from the crowd. The alleged perpetrator was identified following the quick intervention of spectators and security at the Karl Liebknecht Stadium in Potsdam. The match, which second-tier Kaiserslautern won 7-0, continued without interruption. Kaiserslautern coach Torsten Lieberknecht, who praised the intervention of the Stahnsdorf fans, said: ""There's always some idiot around. It's not representative of what Stahnsdorf stand for, and how we were welcomed here." Lieberknecht did not name the player involved and Stahnsdorf spokesman Kay Seifarth said the lower league club would investigate the case thoroughly.
