The German soccer federation condemned an anti-Semitic act involving Kaiserslautern’s Israel striker Itay Shechter, 24, and says such abuse has to be “nipped in the bud” and “we must act decisively.”
Shechter was subjected to a verbal racist attack while training with his German league club on Sunday, when a group of between five and 10 fans in a crowd of at least 100 chanted anti-Semitic slogans and gave Nazi salutes.
Berlin’s Israeli Embassy condemned the insults.
The club’s official fan group has apologized for the situation. The club says fewer than 10 fans were involved and belonged to a hooligan group banned from games.
Shechter, who is on the DL at the moment, has so far scored three goals in 19 league appearances for Kaiserslautern, who are second from bottom of the league.
Sunday’s taunts came the day after his team’s 4-0 defeat by Mainz – their fourth straight loss – in which Shechter did not play.
It’s a known fact that Germans don’t take lightly to losing (see European history 1914-1945).
