Accusations of anti-Semitism in football: Cologne-Nippes under pressure!

Accusations of anti-Semitism in football: Cologne-Nippes under pressure!

The latest allegations against players from the “Gymnastics and Fencing Community 1878 Cologne-Nippes” shed a bright light on the dark sides of football. On September 21, 2025, the Makkabi Cologne team won a game 7-2, while also being subjected to anti-Semitic insults and physical attacks. Makkabi players report experiences ranging from being spit on to direct physical attacks such as choking and hitting. One particularly serious incident describes how a spectator punched a Makkabi player directly in the face. The head of the football department at Nippes 78 II, Cengiz Kirat, was surprised by these allegations and rejected them. He said that Nippes 78 was making allegations against Makkabi because their players had also made racist comments. The Middle Rhine Football Association must now deal with these serious allegations.

In the course of these events, Makkabi Cologne informed both the Cologne district sports court and the anti-Semitism commissioner for North Rhine-Westphalia. It remains to be seen how the investigation progresses as the referee has been asked to provide a detailed report on the game. So far only two yellow cards have been recorded for each team in the match report. Makkabi has also filed a criminal complaint with the public prosecutor's office, but so far there has been no response from the Cologne police or the state security department. This highlights how commonplace discrimination is in football, particularly in amateur sports.

The problem of anti-Semitism in football

Anti-Semitism has been an increasingly observed phenomenon in football culture since the 1980s, as [Wikipedia] reports. The anti-Semitic statements are often part of chants, banners or even physical attacks and have their origin in the fan landscape, where neo-Nazi structures and violent scenes have gained a foothold. Over the years it has been shown that these incidents are increasing not only in the higher leagues, but increasingly in the lower divisions.

According to the reporting office for discrimination in football in North Rhine-Westphalia, such incidents can be observed primarily in recreational sports. It is often just insults, while physical attacks are not uncommon. The common view that sporting performance is paramount and racism can be overlooked is increasingly being questioned. The reality is that structural racism is firmly anchored in many areas of football, be it through racist stereotypes or unequal representation in leadership positions.

The reactions to the incidents

In view of the incidents, the board of Nippes 78 is planning a comprehensive investigation to clarify what happened. All players will be spoken to this week to get a clear picture of the situation. The club management emphasizes that Nippes 78 is a club with around 1,400 members who come from different countries of origin and religions and clearly reject racism and anti-Semitism.

The example of Makkabi and Nippes shows once again how important it is to counteract anti-Semitic tendencies in football. The DFB has already taken steps in the right direction with its anti-racism campaign “Football season is the best time against racism”. The topic is highly explosive and should also be discussed more intensively as part of the upcoming 2024 European Football Championship in Germany. At the local level, amateur clubs are often the first point of contact for young migrants and refugees, which makes the responsibility even greater.

In summary, these incidents not only affect the players on the pitch, but also the entire football community. With the support of institutions and society, it will be necessary to consistently continue the fight against anti-Semitism and racism in order to maintain football as a sport of diversity. This is the only way the most beautiful thing in the world can remain a place of respect and tolerance for everyone.