麻豆传媒

Skip to main content

Haifa fans face antisemitic abuse in Berlin's Olympiastadion

Supporters of Haifa attend a group E Europa Conference League soccer match between 1. FC Union Berlin and Maccabi Haifa FC in Berlin, Germany, Thursday, Sept. 30, 2021. (AP Photo/Michael Sohn) 
Supporters of Haifa attend a group E Europa Conference League soccer match between 1. FC Union Berlin and Maccabi Haifa FC in Berlin, Germany, Thursday, Sept. 30, 2021. (AP Photo/Michael Sohn)
Share
BERLIN -

The first soccer game involving an Israeli team at the stadium built for the 1936 Olympics hosted by Nazi Germany was marred by antisemitic abuse aimed at the visiting team's fans.

Union Berlin said Friday it condemned the antisemitic attacks against Maccabi Haifa supporters during the teams' Europa Conference League game at Berlin's Olympiastadion the night before.

鈥淚ntolerable,鈥 the club said in a statement of the physical and verbal abuse first detailed by members of the youth branch of the local German-Israeli society, who attended the game in a mixed block of fans.

Union president Dirk Zingler apologized for the fans' actions.

The Junges Forum Deutsch-Israelische Gesellschaft said they had beer thrown on them and were called 鈥(expletive) Jews鈥 among other insults, and that one Union fan attempted to set alight an Israeli flag taken from a female supporter until he was stopped by civil police.

鈥淭here were also Union fans who spoke up against this behavior. We moved to the Maccabi-block to be on the safe side,鈥 the society said.

Of the 23,324 fans attending the game, which Union won 3-0, nearly 1,000 were Maccabi supporters.

The Department for Research and Information on Antisemitism Berlin, or RIAS, said Friday that the atmosphere in Block 13, where the Maccabi fans were located, was already heated before the game, and that visiting fans also faced racist and homophobic slurs as well as the antisemitic abuse.

RIAS said that after the game a group of Haifa fans were walking past some Union supporters when one of the Union fans asked his companions, 鈥淗ey guys, do any of you have a little 74-90-8 in your pocket?鈥 RIAS said the individual grinned at the Haifa fans. The numbers refer to hydrogen cyanide, the active ingredient in the poison gas Zyklon B.

The Fare Network, which combats discrimination in soccer, said 鈥渆yewitnesses were shocked by the levels of antisemitism鈥 at the game, and it showed pictures of a Union supporter who, it said, gave Nazi salutes toward the visiting fans 鈥渁nd abused those who called him out.鈥

Another man behind in one of the pictures can also be seen also giving a Nazi salute, which is made by extending the right arm upward with the palm flattened. It is illegal in Germany, and punishable by prison terms.

鈥淭his behavior is shameful and intolerable,鈥 Union president Zingler said Friday. 鈥淲e apologize to those affected. Unfortunately, antisemitism is still present in our society, which is why it is also evident in the stadium. But we will never tolerate discrimination in our ranks. It is important to remain vigilant and to work tirelessly against it. We are supporting the police investigations with all the sources of information available to us.鈥

Olympiastadion is usually used by Union's city rival Hertha Berlin, but it has been taken over by Union for European competition this season as its own stadium in the eastern borough of K脙露penick doesn't have enough seating capacity to meet UEFA demands.

Union said before the game that it was hosting Israeli embassy workers, representatives of the Jewish-Christian-Islamic dialogue project House of One, athletes from local sports club Makkabi Berlin, and others for the match.

鈥淲e know that this game is of very special importance beyond the sporting side for our guests from Haifa and for the Jewish community in Berlin,鈥 Zingler had said.

Maccabi Haifa made no mention of the abusive incidents after the game.

鈥淭hank you for the great hospitality. It was an exciting game in front of your and also our fans, and also in this stadium, which has its meaning,鈥 the club said on Twitter. 鈥淭hank you, and till we see each other again in Israel.鈥

The Union Berlin fan blog Textilvergehen said the words 鈥渄isgusting鈥 and 鈥渁bsolutely shameful鈥 were not adequate to describe the abuse.

The youth branch of the local German-Israeli society on Friday expressed its gratitude for the support it received from the majority of fans.

鈥淭hank you for the wave of solidarity online and to the Union fans who showed their solidarity with us in the stadium!鈥 the group said on Twitter. 鈥淭he majority of Unioners welcomed Maccabi in a friendly manner and celebrated soccer together.鈥

CTVNews.ca Top Stories

We've all had neighbours we didn't like, but two people from Sault Ste. Marie have been awarded more than half a million dollars for the 'extreme' behaviour of the people who lived next to them.

An 18-year-old woman who allegedly stole a Porsche and then ran over its owner in a caught-on-video incident in Mississauga earlier this month is now facing auto theft charges in Toronto.

Local Spotlight

An ordinary day on the job delivering mail in East Elmwood quickly turned dramatic for Canada Post letter carrier Jared Plourde. A woman on his route was calling out in distress.

Fire has destroyed a barn and 17,000 plants at a family-owned business in Lower Coverdale, N.B.

Before influencers on social media, Canada鈥檚 Jeanne Beker was bringing the world of high fashion down to earth and as Calgary鈥檚 Glenbow Museum gets a major make-over, it will include a new exhibition showcasing the pop culture icon.

A sea lion swam free after a rescue team disentangled it near Vancouver Island earlier this week.

A Nova Scotian YouTuber has launched a mini-truck bookmobile.

Cole Haas is more than just an avid fan of the F.W. Johnson Wildcats football team. He's a fixture on the sidelines, a source of encouragement, and a beloved member of the team.

Getting a photograph of a rainbow? Common. Getting a photo of a lightning strike? Rare. Getting a photo of both at the same time? Extremely rare, but it happened to a Manitoba photographer this week.

An anonymous business owner paid off the mortgage for a New Brunswick not-for-profit.

They say a dog is a man鈥檚 best friend. In the case of Darren Cropper, from Bonfield, Ont., his three-year-old Siberian husky and golden retriever mix named Bear literally saved his life.

Stay Connected