Germany under-17 national team racially abused on way to winning European title

General manager Joti Chatzialexiou said racist comments on social media made for “unpleasant circumstances” around the team’s run to the European title.

Germany players celebrate after the UEFA European Under-17 Championship 2023 Final against France in Budapest, Hungary. | Photo Credit: Sportsfile/UEFA via Getty Images)

FRANKFURT

Players on the Germany under-17 national team faced racist abuse on social media on its way to winning the European Championship, a team official said Wednesday.

General manager Joti Chatzialexiou said racist comments on social media made for “unpleasant circumstances” around the team’s run to the European title, won on penalties against France on Friday.

“Under particular posts on our social media channels there was a strong accumulation of racist comments. Our boys saw those and that really bothered them,” Chatzialexiou said on the German football federation’s website.

“Together they decided, however, not to give any space to these distractions during the course of the tournament, and so they came even closer together as a team. As a team which fully identifies with Germany and with the eagle (badge) on the chest, which lives its shared values and stands for diversity, tolerance, community and integration.”