Racism against Keita after scandal
Werder’s “spectacular coup” ends tragically
April 16, 2024, 8:30 p.m
In the end, it’s almost more than a misunderstanding: Werder Bremen is suspending Naby Keita until the end of the season – a future for the supposed king transfer in the green and white jersey hardly seems conceivable.
The season finale will be a lonely time for Naby Keita. No training with the team, no access to the dressing room – and certainly no use in the Bundesliga. By suspending the 29-year-old until the summer, SVW is voluntarily forgoing its star purchase in the relegation battle. And Keita’s future in Werder’s uniform also seems unthinkable at the moment.
“Naby’s behavior cannot be tolerated for us as a club. With this action, he has let his team down in a tense sporting and personnel situation and has placed himself above the team,” explained professional football director Clemens Fritz. What Keita, who was also fined a “significant” fine (around 100,000 euros according to the “Bild” newspaper), did before SVW’s Bundesliga game at Bayer Leverkusen left those in charge at the club no other choice.
The midfielder refused to travel to Leverkusen because he wasn’t supposed to be in the starting line-up. “We can’t allow that. At this stage of the season we need full focus on the remaining games,” said Fritz, describing the measure as “no alternative.”
Heaped with racist insults
The fans’ souls were also boiling, but the anger towards Keita took nasty forms online. After racist insults, Werder stood in front of his player that evening to protect himself. The club said that inhumane statements were “not compatible with the values of SV Werder”: “Anyone who writes such comments cannot be a fan of our club.”
Keita’s future is now open, his contract has not (so far) been terminated. Fritz should now weigh up his options in order to keep the financial damage as low as possible. However, it seems almost impossible that the international player from Guinea will continue to work beyond the summer.
At least not under a coach Ole Werner. This became clear on Sunday on the sidelines of the Leverkusen championship celebrations. “Everyone can form their own opinion, I formed mine. Of course it has nothing to do with team sports,” he said after the 5-0 defeat.
Just 105 minutes in five games
Keita’s defiant reaction is the darkest chapter yet in a collaboration that is euphemistically described by the word misunderstanding. With the best will in the world, the statistics of the former world-class player in the Werder jersey do not read like those of a Champions League winner from 2019. Keita was only on the pitch for 106 minutes this season – in just five competitive games.
Keita was described as a “transfer hammer”, “a stroke of luck for Werder” and “spectacular coup” in June when he announced his move from Anfield Road to Weser. But right from the start, his time at Werder was not a good one. He had already injured himself during the warm-up before the first test match of the season at VfB Oldenburg. It continued throughout the season: As in previous seasons, he was slowed down by injuries with sad regularity. The trip to the Africa Cup, where the captain of the Guinea national team was supposed to gain match practice, didn’t help either.