Udo Voigt, head of the NPD, Klaus Beier, the party’s spokesman, and Frank Schwerdt, manager and head of the legal department, are being held responsible for the leaflet which was distributed during the 2006 World Cup.

It included the image of a player, pictured from behind, wearing the white German strip and the number 25 – the number then worn by Patrick Owomoyela, a black German player.

Next to the image was the caption, “White – not just a strip-colour – for a real national team.”

The state prosecutor argues that this was intended to send the message that players whose skin is not white should have no right to play for the German national team.

Owomoyela , who currently plays for Borussia Dortmund, and is under contract to Werder Bremen, got an injunction against the NPD and filed a complaint at the time.

He is expected to attend court to testify against the neo-Nazis.