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Bayern Munich academy employee investigated over racism allegations

Police are investigating an allegation of racism against a member of staff at Bayern Munich's youth academy, a police spokesman confirmed.

Published: 14 August 2020 09:34 CEST
Bayern Munich academy employee investigated over racism allegations
The entrance to the Bayern Munich campus. Photo: DPA

Bayern Munich chief executive Karl-Heinz Rummenigge said on Thursday he was furious after a youth academy coach's alleged racist remarks led to the investigation.

On Tuesday, regional television channel WDR published the private messages
sent by the unnamed individual, with authorities starting the probe as the
Bundesliga champions had received four complaints letters from parents since
2018.

“This issue does not fit with our values, the values that FC Bayern Munich
represent,” Rummenigge said.

READ ALSO: Opinion: My experiences of everyday racism in Germany

“This case makes me angry because I want to make it clear and one should
not forget that Bayern is a club that always has been against racism.”

Rummenigge said the outfit's internal investigation into the incident is
almost finished and promised “consequences”.

The Bavarian's first team wore shirts in support of the Black Lives Matter
movement after the death of George Floyd in the USA in May.

The side was founded by Jews in 1900 but their bosses were banned under the Nazi regime in 1933 and their results declined during the Second World War.

The Bayern Munich Campus, where their academy is based, opened in 2017 and is home to the German giants' U9 to U19 teams, as well as where the women's and girls' teams train and play.

READ ALSO: 'Racist' Berlin underground station to be renamed

 

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FOOTBALL

Bayern Munich sack youth coach at centre of racism row

Bayern Munich, who face Lyon in a Champions League semi-final on Wednesday, have fired a coach from their youth academy amid a police investigation into allegations of racism.

Published: 18 August 2020 11:16 CEST
Bayern Munich sack youth coach at centre of racism row
Bayern Munich's Kingsley Coman wearing a T-shirt that says: 'Red against racism' on June 10th. Photo: DPA.

The coach, who was not named, has had his contract terminated “by mutual agreement”, the German league and cup champions said in a statement late Monday.

The sacking is “the first result of an internal survey currently under way” at the youth training academy, it added.

Bayern Munich boss Karl-Heinz Rummenigge said last week he was “furious” after hearing of the allegations, first reported by the ARD broadcaster.

The coach is accused of making racist and other discriminatory comments in a series of messages, which he initially denied but later admitted, according to German media.

He had been a youth coach at the club since 2003 and had been in charge of children's and youth teams since 2006, according to the weekly Der Spiegel.

He made discriminatory comments based on skin colour, nationality, religion and sexual orientation, Spiegel reported.

These comments “do not correspond at all with the values that Bayern Munich represents”, Rummenigge said after police in Munich opened an investigation into the allegations.

READ ALSO: Bayern Munich Academy employee investigated over racism allegations

Bayern Munich was founded by German Jews in 1900, but all Jewish managers and players were excluded after Hitler came to power in 1933.

In June, not long after the death in the US of black man George Floyd at the hands of a white police officer, the entire team were pictured wearing t-shirts bearing the slogans “Black lives matter” and “Red card to racism”.

The club also launched a major anti-racism campaign in March, following incidents in German stadiums.

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