‘Never experienced before’: vile abuse towards ex-BVB star | OneFootball

The loud shouts of “Adeyemi” during the German national team’s 0-1 defeat against Greece initially caused confusion. It is now clear what was behind the unusual calls: Karim Adeyemi and other DFB stars had been heavily insulted by spectators from the stands – one fan pushed back.

Time and again during the match in Augsburg, the name of the former BVB player could be heard. “Karim, go get him, lad!” one spectator repeatedly shouted in the direction of the forward. The calls were clearly audible on the broadcast through the pitch-side microphones and also attracted attention on social media.

However, this was not mockery aimed at Adeyemi. Steven Pawlowicz from Nuremberg was actually trying to drown out other spectators with his loud words of encouragement.

“In the first minute, there were vicious insults coming from the third row behind us toward the German players, at first mainly against Bayern players. Insults that then escalated to targeting appearance as well,” the 32-year-old said.

Spectators were also targeted

According to Pawlowicz, the verbal attacks were not directed exclusively at the national team players. He said other spectators were also insulted and in some cases even threatened with violence. “Other spectators were also viciously insulted and even threatened with violence with shouts like ‘Come over here!’ or ‘What do you actually want?’” the DFB supporter reported.

Pawlowicz and his friend then informed a steward. According to him, however, there was no response. “We immediately informed the steward. But there was no reaction – just a shrug,” he said.

After around 20 minutes, Adeyemi and Kevin Schade switched sides. As a result, the former Dortmund player was suddenly playing right in front of the block where the alleged hecklers were sitting. Pawlowicz responded by shouting positive encouragement to the national team player.

“Every time they shouted something disgusting, I shouted something positive, only louder,” the spectator explained. At the time, he did not know that his shouts could also be heard on television because of a pitch-side microphone.

“I’ve never experienced anything like this at international matches”

In the second half, the insults were apparently no longer audible. Pawlowicz suspects that spectators had alerted the police and that the people in question were forced to leave the section.

Photo: IMAGO

For the longtime DFB supporter, the incident was still extraordinary. “I’ve never experienced anything like this at international matches,” Pawlowicz said. The atmosphere at Germany games is normally completely different: “Germany matches are usually super relaxed, not comparable to Bundesliga games. A very peaceful atmosphere – whether against Italy or Finland.”

His message to the fans is therefore very clear: “What matters to me is that our core values are upheld. Shouts like that have no place in our stadiums!”

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇩🇪 here.