Dennis Schröder, victim of racist insults at the EuroBasket
The captain of the German national basketball team, Dennis Schröder, was subjected to racist insults during the match against Lithuania in the EuroBasket, held on Saturday. The International Basketball Federation (FIBA) acted immediately, banning a fan from attending the rest of the tournament. The German Basketball Federation reported that two people were identified as the alleged perpetrators of the insults and expelled from the stadium in Tampere. Subsequently, FIBA confirmed that a fan was identified through videos and will not be able to attend the next matches.FIBA also announced that it will meet with the Lithuanian delegation to discuss what happened. The organization reiterated its condemnation of hate speech, discriminatory conduct and racist language in all its forms. “Creating an inclusive, respectful and safe environment for players, teams and fans remains a fundamental priority of our sport,” said FIBA. Schröder, who is Black, heard the insults while heading to the locker room during halftime. Germany’s interim coach, Alan Ibrahimagic, expressed his support for the player.Making monkey noises is something I don’t respect. No matter the status, the insults, everything is fine. But racism simply has no place in this sport. That’s not okay.
Dennis Schröder
Schröder, a player for the Sacramento Kings, led Germany, the current world champion, with 26 points, achieving their third consecutive victory in the group stage. The Germans are already qualified for the round of 16 in Riga, Latvia, regardless of the results of their last two group matches in Tampere. Ibrahimagic coached the team in place of Alex Mumbru, who was absent due to illness for the third consecutive game of the EuroBasket.I noticed that Dennis was very upset, and rightly so. Such things have no place in sport or competition. We hope this will calm down and can be resolved somehow.
Alan Ibrahimagic
