LEIPZIG, Germany (AP) — Schalke midfielder Christopher Antwi-Adjei was whistled by Lokomotiv Leipzig supporters after he appeared to complain that he was subjected to racist abuse during the teams’ German Cup game on Sunday.
Antwi-Adjei, who is Black, broke off play while taking a throw-in in the 13th minute, and subsequently spoke with a match official on the sideline. Referee Max Burda spoke to both captains while the first-round game was interrupted for around two minutes. The stadium announcer asked fans to refrain from using racist or discriminatory language.
Antwi-Adjei was subsequently whistled whenever he received the ball.
“We couldn’t verify it,” Lokomotiv spokesman Carsten Maschulle told Sky TV during halftime. “We have a member of staff who uses a wheelchair who was exactly or almost where the player was. He didn’t hear anything. We asked around a bit, but no one heard anything. The linesman, who is obviously standing nearby during the throw-in, apparently didn’t hear anything either. That’s the current status.”
Schalke won 1-0 with Bryan Lasme scoring the winner in extra time.
Schalke plays in the second division while Lokomotiv is at fourth-tier level after narrowly missing out on promotion last season.
___
AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer
