Liverpool’s claim of racial abuse during a youth match has been dismissed by Hoffenheim, who suggest a German slang word might have been misunderstood.
The Reds reported racist language used in a match against Hoffenheim last Friday and another against Eintracht Frankfurt the next day.
Hoffenheim emphasized the seriousness with which they took the accusation but “firmly reject its content.”
Their statement asserted, “There is no racist discrimination in the TSG (Hoffenheim) academy and never has been in the past. Our youth academy includes many players from diverse ethnic backgrounds who compete together. Differences of opinion may arise, but there is certainly no racism among TSG players.”
According to Hoffenheim, the accused player and surrounding teammates denied making the alleged statement. Additionally, their video analysis found no evidence of the claim.
“Nonetheless, we are thoroughly investigating the incident with our psychologists and child protection officer,” the club stated. “A possible explanation for this accusation, repeated against Frankfurt, might be the German slang word ‘Digga’ (similar to ‘bro’ in English), which phonetically resembles the alleged slur.”
Hoffenheim chose not to disclose the accused player’s identity.
Timmo Harding, Frankfurt’s sporting director, provided a similar explanation to the German newspaper Bild, stating, “We uphold clear values against racism and take such accusations seriously.”
Liverpool’s players exited the field following the alleged abuse.
Liverpool FC‘s statement on Saturday said, “A member of our under-18s team reported racial abuse during the Bundesliga Cup youth tournament at Schwabisch Hall in Germany on Friday. The player immediately informed the match official, teammates, and coaching staff. Consequently, our management team decided to leave the pitch.
“On the next day, the same player faced abuse again. He reported it to his teammates and coaching staff, leading our management team to leave the pitch once more.
“We commend our player for his quick action and mature response. He and his affected teammates are being supported by the Academy safeguarding team. The club urges our opponents and tournament organizers to conduct an urgent and thorough investigation into the incident.”
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