DUISBURG, Germany (AP) – A third division football match in Germany was abandoned on Sunday due to racist abuse against a visiting player.

Referee Nicolas Winter initially abandoned the game between hosts MSV Duisburg and Osnabrück in the 35th minute after monkey chants aimed at Osnabrück striker Aaron Opoku.

“There was a corner for Osnabrück, and when the player wanted to take it, there were monkey sounds in the stands. He noticed it immediately and so did the assistant. Both described it to me, ”Winter said.

Winter said it was an incident “to which we are very sensitive and to which we react directly … (I) could see how shocked he (Opoku) was”.

Osnabrück did not want to continue and the match was called off about 10 minutes later. The score at the time was 0-0.

“Osnabrück – and this is more than understandable – can no longer compete. The guy is in pieces and everyone – the whole team – is distraught. Honestly, we too after this incredible incident, ”Duisburg press officer Martin Haltermann told Magenta TV. “We’re all pretty speechless right now.”

Osnabrück general manager Michael Welling said there was no chance of continuing the game.

“Aaron is very, very deflated and not able to play anymore. That’s one of the reasons we said we wouldn’t play,” said Welling, who added that racism didn’t. no place in society and therefore not in football either “.

Welling said Duisburg’s Leroy Kwadwo also suffered racist abuse as the players gathered on the sidelines after the initial racist incident.

Most of the supporters of the two teams present then took a stand against racism and shouted “Nazis out” among other chants, while an anti-Nazi song by the German group Die Ärzte was played in the stadium.

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