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A racism incident has unfolded in the 4th division.

Lok Leipzig ultras breached the field prior to their 2-0 victory against Zwickau, and now a racism controversy emerges.

SymClub
May 20, 2024
2 min read
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Zwickau's Lloyd-Addo Kuffour (front) against Frenchman Abou Ballo from Lok Leipzig
Zwickau's Lloyd-Addo Kuffour (front) against Frenchman Abou Ballo from Lok Leipzig

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The player was severely vilified. - A racism incident has unfolded in the 4th division.

During the preparation for a match, the FSV player Lloyd-Addo Kuffour, who has a dark complexion, was targeted with racist and anti-Semitic insults by spectators, as reported by the Freie Presse. This took place in the locker room after the warm-up exercise.

"There were some very clear racial slurs directed at our Lloyd-Addo," stated André Beuchold, a board member of Zwickau. "It was like we had gone back in time to 1985. It's not the club's fault, and you can't control what people say. But these instances must be handled."

The onus is now on the NOFV (North-East German Football Association) to investigate this matter. The Zwickau team promptly complained to association observer Torsten Abicht about the offense, who was present at the match. Additionally, footage of some of the discriminatory shouts had been recorded. Lok Leipzig, though, were not made aware of this beforehand - neither during a safety meeting during halftime nor when leaving the venue. The club's own announcement claimed that its officials were clueless about the incident.

Lok Leipzig, who have consistently fought against discrimination, racism, and violence in their stadiums, were embarrassed by the events. Managing Director Alexander Voigt stated, "We've denounced inequality, bigotry, and violence for many years, and we absolutely abhor such obscenities." This commitment is also reflected in a special anti-racism banner created with the club's ultras, placed in front of the Ultra sector.

The shouts came from the opposite side of the players' tunnel, from supporters in the region where the opponent's players were present.

"Had we known about this during the game, we would have collaborated in the investigations," Voigt added. "Regrettably, we only found out after the Zwickau team had left the stadium. We will, of course, assist in any way possible to resolve this issue."

Interestingly, Voigt mentioned that Lok Leipzig had installed a state-of-the-art video system but it was sound-free. Yet, it could provide crystal-clear video, which could have aided in the inquiry during the match.

This board is clearly visible in the Lok Leipzig stadium

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Source: symclub.org

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