Scandal in the district league: Anti-Semitic attacks shock Cologne!

Scandal in the district league: Anti-Semitic attacks shock Cologne!

On September 14, 2025, during a football match in the Cologne district league between TuS Makkabi Köln and Nippes 78 II, worrying incidents occurred that not only shocked the local football community, but also caused a stir across the country. After the final whistle, the Makkabi players faced serious accusations. According to reports from Innsalzach24 They were confronted with anti-Semitic insults, spat at and even physically attacked during the game. This represents a worrying trend as the Middle Rhine Football Association (FVM) has observed an increase in anti-Semitic incidents in amateur football since the Hamas terrorist attacks on Israel in October 2023.

TuS Makkabi Cologne did not hesitate to make this incident public and report it to the public prosecutor, which resulted in legal action being taken. Cengiz Kirat, the department head of Nippes 78 II, however, rejected the allegations and claimed that nothing of the kind happened during the game. In a strange twist, Nippes 78 made allegations against Makkabi, including anti-Muslim insults and fantasies of violence. Such disputes fuel the debate about safety in amateur football and the pressing issue of discrimination on sports fields.

The reality in amateur football

The incidents in Cologne do not stand alone in a vacuum. Loud Sports show Violence and discrimination in amateur football is a widespread problem. Axel Zimmermann, head of the Bochum football district, is skeptical about the figures from the German Football Association (DFB), which report a decline in violence and discrimination. In the 2024/2025 season there were a total of 829 game abandonments due to violence or discrimination, which shows a decrease of 9% compared to the previous year. Nevertheless, Zimmermann estimates that cases of violence or discrimination could occur in around 5% of games, an alarming number that is often lost in discussion.

What is worrying is that only around 90% of games are documented electronically, which leads to inaccurate recording of incidents. Criminologist Thaya Vester criticizes the DFB data as not serious and calls for more precision and uniform procedures across the association. The inconsistent legal and procedural systems of the 21 regional associations also affect the implementation of penalties.

The DFB in focus

The DFB itself has already recognized the issue and has been investigating the situation in amateur football with regard to violence and discrimination every year since the 2014/2015 season. Interestingly, the DFB was able to report that the number of game abandonments was reduced by 5.5% in the 2023/2024 season. In absolute numbers, this means a decline from 963 to 909 abandoned games. Despite the increase in games, the absolute number of incidents remains down compared to the previous year dfb.de determines. However, this is unlikely to reassure anyone, as the challenge remains enormous and the impression of an escalation of discrimination and violence in the squares remains pervasive.

The dark side of amateur football is once again brought into sharp focus by the incidents in Cologne. It is high time that associations, clubs and the wider football community work together to counteract this worrying trend and make the game we all love a place of inclusion and respect again. Only if everyone pulls together can we restore safety and fairness in amateur football.