FC Bayern had imagined it very differently: In the first leg of the quarter-finals of the Champions League, the German record champions lost 0: 3 at Manchester City, so the chance of reaching the semi-finals is extremely slim. The disappointment among the supporters is therefore quite understandable – but it is unacceptable that some “fans” react to the defeat with racist insults.
The target of the attacks is defender Dayot Upamecano. The Frenchman with roots in Guinea-Bissau had favored the 0: 2 with a serious mistake. Upamecano was then insulted by some users on social networks because of the color of his skin. There are several racist comments on his Instagram profile. FC Bayern has already got behind its players. “We all at FC Bayern condemn racism in the strongest possible terms! The entire club is behind you, oops!” the club commented on Instagram.
The “Club Nr 12” fan club also made it clear on Twitter: “No mistake or bad game justifies racism and this type of insult.” Upamecano had had a bad day overall after some good performances against City – the mistake before the 0: 2 was just the tip of the iceberg. The defender was ridiculed in the international media: “Upamecano ‘signs’ for Manchester City. The centre-back’s inexplicable game was the downfall for Bayern Munich. If Upamecano wanted to send his CV to Pep Guardiola, this might not be the right way.” , commented, for example, the Spanish sports newspaper “Mundo Deportivo”.
Upamecano received support from Bayern officials immediately after the game, and there were no accusations. “Don’t blame him because he’s been a very important player in the past few weeks and has been in top form,” said sporting director Hasan Salihamidzic. Coach Thomas Tuchel was also forgiving: “Everyone who plays so many games makes a mistake at some point.” And Joshua Kimmich said: “It’s important that he believes in his strengths. He’s an outstanding player.”
Unfortunately, racist insults after sporting missteps are almost the order of the day in football. Among other things, Upamecano’s Bayern teammate and French compatriot Kingsley Coman had to make acquaintance with it. After his missed penalty in the World Cup final against Argentina, he was insulted on the Internet. Even then, FC Bayern showed a clear edge against the racist slogans.
Sources: Dayot Upamecano on Instagram / “Spox” / DPA
