Christopher Antwi-Adjei of Schalke faced racist remarks during a German Cup match against Lokomotiv Leipzig on Sunday, leading to a temporary pause in the game.

During the 13th minute, the dark-skinned Antwi-Adjei informed the referee about the abuse from the crowd while he was executing a throw-in.

“This was pure racism. I prefer not to repeat the exact words used, but it’s disheartening to see such incidents continue,” he stated in an interview with Sky TV after the match.

Referee Max Burda confirmed that the appropriate protocols were followed, including a warning read in the stadium. The match then resumed after a brief three-minute break. Nonetheless, Antwi-Adjei was met with boos every time he got near the ball.

“There will always be a handful of individuals who think they can act without consequences. However, we move forward and I hope this won’t happen again,” remarked the 31-year-old athlete.

Schalke ultimately secured a 1-0 victory with a late goal from Brian Lasme, but the disturbing incident overshadowed the match. Team captain Kenan Karaman insisted that the players were prepared to leave the field if the harassment continued.

“This incident casts a pall over the entire match. We are all in solidarity with Kristofer,” Karaman added.

A similar occurrence took place the same day in Potsdam, where a Kaiserslautern player faced racist insults during warm-ups, leading to the quick identification and detention of the offender by security and supporters.

Lokomotiva coach Jochen Saitz commented that “the football festivity was tainted by a single shout,” but his Schalke counterpart Miron Muslić countered, emphasizing, “This was not an isolated incident. The entire stadium understood why the game was paused, and the collective booing was evident. It was not just one person.”

Schalke competes in the second division, while Lokomotiva Leipzig is in the fourth division.

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