Germany interrupts Olympic warm-up with allegations of racism



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WAKAYAMA, Japan (AP) – The German Olympic football team left the field in a Tokyo Games preparation match on Saturday in response to allegations of racist abuse by an opposing Honduran player against the German defender Jordan Torunarigha.

The match was abandoned five minutes from time and 1-1, the German Football Association announced.

“The German team left the pitch together after our player Jordan Torunarigha was racially insulted,” said the the federation said on Twitter.

Torunarigha club Hertha Berlin responded by saying “ this is the only right decision!

The friendly in Wakayama, Japan was Germany’s last warm-up before facing Brazil in Yokohama on Thursday. Coach Stefan Kuntz’s team also face Saudi Arabia on July 25 and Côte d’Ivoire on July 28 in Group D.

Torunarigha, 23, who is the son of former Nigerian player Ojokojo Torunarigha, has previously been the victim of racist abuse. He was targeted with monkey chants by some Schalke fans during a German Cup match on February 4, 2020. Schalke was fined 50,000 euros ($ 54,600) for the abuse of his supporters.

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