Thursday, September 2nd, 2021
Final judgment is still missing
DFB bans professional on suspicion of racism
The third division game between 1. FC Saarbrücken and 1. FC Magdeburg continues to have an effect – especially for Dennis Erdmann. The defender of the FCS has been banned by the DFB until the end of the proceedings. The association is investigating because Erdmann is said to have insulted his opponents in a racist manner.
Defender Dennis Erdmann is not allowed to play for the third division club 1. FC Saarbrücken for the time being after the racism allegations against him. The sports court of the German Football Association (DFB) recognized “sufficient suspicions that the player had made racist statements on the pitch” and temporarily banned the 30-year-old. The final verdict is still pending. According to the testimony, Erdmann should have the opportunity to “look through the video material again and submit further evidence,” said Stephan Oberholz, deputy chairman of the DFB Sports Court, explaining the interruption of the hearing.
The 30-year-old is said to have racially insulted several opponents in the game 1. FC Saarbrücken against 1. FC Magdeburg (2: 1). The FCM pros Baris Atik, Sirloid Conteh, Leon Bell Bell and Amara Condé, who were invited as witnesses, confirmed this accusation before the sports court. “I’ve never seen anything like this before,” said Condé. He himself was not insulted, but “heard a lot”. Immediately after the game he said: “That was amazing, there were slogans like ‘Tell your parents to paddle back again'”, and further: “You heard the N-word all the time.”
The referee Robert Kampka, who was switched on by telephone, stated that he “did not notice any racist insults from his own perception” during the heated game. Even during and after the game, Magdeburg did not speak to him about such incidents – neither by the players nor by those responsible.
Erdmann vigorously denied all allegations during the trial. “It’s unbelievable for me. I’m not a person who differentiates between origin and skin color,” said the defensive player and asserted: “I have never insulted anyone racially and would never do that.” Erdmann’s lawyer, Horst Kletke, had requested an adjournment in order to sift through further evidence as, in his opinion, the matter could not be resolved. At the beginning of the negotiation, Kletke had reported numerous hate mails against Erdmann. “I’m a mentally strong player,” said Erdmann. “But the past few days have been incredibly stressful for me and my family.”
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