Black Stars head coach Otto Addo has voiced his frustration over the persistent incidents of racism in German football, condemning recent abuses suffered by players in the opening round of the DFB Pokal.
Ghana winger Christopher Antwi-Adjei was subjected to racist insults, including the “N-word,” during Schalke 04’s clash with Lokomotiv Leipzig, prompting him to report the matter to the referee. Around the same time, Kelsey Owusu was racially abused on social media after his tackle on Yan Couto in a game against Borussia Dortmund. Elsewhere, Mainz midfielder Nadiem Amiri also received hate messages following their tie with Kaiserslautern.
Addo, who has long championed anti-racism through his “Roots – Against Racism in Sport” campaign, urged the German Football Association (DFB) and the German Football League (DFL) to prioritize the fight against racism instead of treating incidents as isolated cases.
“For years, we’ve seen the same pattern: an incident, then downplaying, then silence,” Addo told Kicker.
“Racism in football is not an accident or a marginal phenomenon — it is systemic. As long as we talk about individual perpetrators and individual idiots, the system remains untouched. To change the system, the DFB and DFL must finally make anti-racism a top priority.”
Addo, born in Germany to Ghanaian parents, spent his playing career in the Bundesliga with clubs including Hamburger SV and Borussia Dortmund before choosing to represent Ghana internationally. He now leads the Black Stars but continues to use his platform to push for greater accountability and systemic reform in German football.
