The fight against racism: A profound restlessness at Mainz 05

It was moving day at Mainz 05 last weekend, with the victory in Frankfurt, in the characteristic style of the Trainer Achim Beierlorzer "a couple of quick paddle strokes" for the start of the End of the Class remaining. At the beginning of the week, broke the Bundesliga club in the fight against everyday racism before, when he the termination of a member with its reference to "in the starting lineup nine (!!!) dark-skinned players" and a feeling like the "Africa Cup" as published in the significant words, replied. And then he rowed back because of a Cartoons, of the imF, as always, before home games on a more or less funny way on the upcoming duel with FC Augsburg on Sunday (at 15:30.A.Z.-The live Ticker for the Bundesliga, and Sky) to point. Suddenly, Mainz 05 was tapped, according to its own view of itself into a cliché trap.

Daniel Meuren

sports editor.

In a small cartoon, the words Beierlorzers processed, paddled Pierre customer and Moussa Niakhaté, the goal scorer against Eintracht, the competitors in the relegation battle in their canoes, also in Cartoon-technology, easy – goers-oversubscribed again, however, white – leadership of players such as the Augsburg Philipp Max sat. In the network outrage was widespread, the club rowed back. "We have deleted our funny-intentioned Cartoon again. In the current context, it was insensitive to post, as he was occasionally interpreted differently,“ said the club via Twitter.

"Are a little out of our way lost"

Behind these moral collateral and uncertainty about one's own position at the club, a deep restlessness. The Association has in addition to many foreign players, one of which is in addition to the French, the Austrians, the Dutch, a Swiss and a Spaniard, only for the Cameroonian customer and the Nigerian Awoniyi at the Africa Cup of Nations game would be entitled, so many of our own plants as never before: in addition to the native of Mainz Ridle Baku equal to six other players from the own Junior performance centre. This unique feature in the Bundesliga for the club but it is not sufficient as a source of identity to his followers taught. Under a lot of use of the Fans, the club has developed a compelling mission statement that he wanted to introduce the audience to a few months ago. The sporting misery, and also the Corona-crisis have led to a delay.

Now, Stefan Bell, the senior professional in the squad has, however, disclosed that he cannot understand, although, of course, the racist connotation, but the discomfort of the member. "We are already a little bit of our ancestral way off, in terms of the approach to squad composition Throughout," said Bell in a Podcast of the SWR: "to Me it is never about individual players. I wish more players, not to stay long in Mainz, that we have so much turnover. The team, of the hierarchy, if the people change too often and not for long there hurt somewhere. And that makes it for the Fans a bit harder to identify with them.“