F96
12 Nov 2006, 08:28 PM
Hope this thread has a better fate then pt.I. Translated an interview that appeared on SPIEGEL online (http://www.spiegel.de/sport/fussball/0,1518,447426,00.html).
"Insulted by opponents, fans and referees"
When Mario Gatti and his club Yesilyurt play in the east the fans chant: "The stupid Kanaken (denigrative term for Turks)
are coming." (sounds a little weird to me, I'm pretty sure stronger language was used)
For Spiegel Online he tells about accosting linesmen (better translation for 'pöbelnde'?)- and a speaker who rejoices when "finally a German" is subbed in.
SPIEGEL ONLINE: Herr Gatti, this weekend a linesman was beaten down in Brandenburg, turkish youth players klobbed their opponents. Are you surprised about these incidents?
Martino Gatti: No. I feel it's has become more and more aggressive on and beside the football field over the last years.
Since I've been playing for the Berlin club SV Yesilyrt in the Oberliga Nordost I experience this especially intensly. When we play away in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern and Brandenburg we face an extreme hostile atmosphere.
SPIEGEL ONLINE: You are of Italian heritage. Your club has turkish roots. Was awaits a foreign team in the east?
Gatti: Hostility and insults of any kind. We are being insulted by our opponents, referees and spectators. Before, during and after the game. No matter if we won or lost.
SPIEGEL ONLINE: What happens exactly?
Gatti: It begins when we arrive by bus. Then some are already chanting: "The stupid Kanaken are coming." During the game the insults pick up. It's It is particularly bad when we win. Then the atmosphere gets extremely aggressiv. In Neustrelitz our opponents didn't allow us to take a shower. One time we had to wait in our bus for 30 minutes until the police had calmed down the mob and we could drive home.
SPIEGEL ONLINE: How do the those responsible act?
Gatti: They often ignore these incidents. In Neustrelitz even the management incited the fans against us. The stadium speaker commented on a substitution of one of our players: "Finally a German."
SPIEGEL ONLINE: Do the referees protect you?
Gatti: They don't do enough. Many pretend to not hear anything. If you complain you risk getting a yellow card. One linesmen even said to our men on the bench: "Go back to where you came from."
SPIEGEL ONLINE: Did you experience fisticuffs (?) in the Oberliga?
Gatti: No. But that's also because we try to avoid conflicts. In Torgelow there were locals on the field when we wanted to jog after the game. You could feel the tension. Our coach send us back inside because of that. I'm sure: If we reacted verbally against the hostilities more often there would be more fisticuffs.
SPIEGEL ONLINE: How many get abusive?
Gatti: That's difficult to say. Of course it's a minority. But when there's only 200 spectators it's easy to get heard. When the majority doesn't react you get the impression that everyone thinks similar.
SPIEGEL ONLINE: How does the increasing xenophobia show itself?
Gatti: Before there were single remarks behind one's back. Now everyting gets said very openly. The the inhibition threshold has dropped and the acceptance rises. I've been playing in the Oberliga for four years. In the beginning I tried to talk myself into believing: It's not that bad. It's going to stop one time. But far from it, it's getting worse. It's very tough to be exposed to this every week, year after year.
SPIEGEL ONLINE: Holger Fuchs, the executive of the north-eastern German football association (NOFV) disagrees with the claim that the situation got worse. Despite the request to report any such incidents not more complaints have been filed.
Gatti: I understand Mr. Fuchs. I'm afraid we and the other foreign clubs don't do enough here. Moral courage is missing. Two years ago when we played at BFC Dynamo with Yesliyurt they threw flat bread at us. The press reportet the incident but we didn't do anything. BFC Dynamo wasn't punished. The clubs shy the amount of work a complaint means. They say: This will amount to nothing, or: nobody is going to believe us. Furthermore people are afraid of being discriminated against by the referees even more when it's known that one has complained. I myself would write a complaint everty time. We have to fight back, otherwise nothing's going to happen. It's not like these are exceptions. Every two weeks something is happening.
SPIEGEL ONLINE: BFC Dynamo ist known for having violent rightist extremist fans. What actions can such a club take against the xenophobia of it's spectators?
Gatti: That is a really difficult example. Different to other clubs here it's not a minority that has been noticeable. I have played there myself for two years. I didn't know anything about the BFC fans when I signed.
Hier müssen Aktionen mit Signalwirkung gestartet werden (No idea how to translate. Google says: Here actions with signal effect must be started. ;) ). But the club is afraid to put off its fans.
SPIEGEL ONLINE: How could such actions look like?
Gatti: I played for St. Pauly in the early nineties. They also had their share of right wing extremist fans. The club and fans fought against them though. Initiatives like "St.-Pauli-Fans gegen Rechts" were founded and fan tournaments against foreign fan groups took place. The stadium magazine took a firm stand. Step after step the extremists stood alone. However the state, communities and football federations have to help the clubs as well.
SPIEGEL ONLINE: After the recent bad riots in Berlin and Augsburg the DFB has announced at the "violence summit" it will fight racism and xenophobia
.
Gatti: I really hope that things will take off from now. However it's a pity that riots like in Berlin and Augsburg have to happen for actions to be taken. There have been alarming incidents before.
Das Interview führte Johannes Kopp
"Insulted by opponents, fans and referees"
When Mario Gatti and his club Yesilyurt play in the east the fans chant: "The stupid Kanaken (denigrative term for Turks)
are coming." (sounds a little weird to me, I'm pretty sure stronger language was used)
For Spiegel Online he tells about accosting linesmen (better translation for 'pöbelnde'?)- and a speaker who rejoices when "finally a German" is subbed in.
SPIEGEL ONLINE: Herr Gatti, this weekend a linesman was beaten down in Brandenburg, turkish youth players klobbed their opponents. Are you surprised about these incidents?
Martino Gatti: No. I feel it's has become more and more aggressive on and beside the football field over the last years.
Since I've been playing for the Berlin club SV Yesilyrt in the Oberliga Nordost I experience this especially intensly. When we play away in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern and Brandenburg we face an extreme hostile atmosphere.
SPIEGEL ONLINE: You are of Italian heritage. Your club has turkish roots. Was awaits a foreign team in the east?
Gatti: Hostility and insults of any kind. We are being insulted by our opponents, referees and spectators. Before, during and after the game. No matter if we won or lost.
SPIEGEL ONLINE: What happens exactly?
Gatti: It begins when we arrive by bus. Then some are already chanting: "The stupid Kanaken are coming." During the game the insults pick up. It's It is particularly bad when we win. Then the atmosphere gets extremely aggressiv. In Neustrelitz our opponents didn't allow us to take a shower. One time we had to wait in our bus for 30 minutes until the police had calmed down the mob and we could drive home.
SPIEGEL ONLINE: How do the those responsible act?
Gatti: They often ignore these incidents. In Neustrelitz even the management incited the fans against us. The stadium speaker commented on a substitution of one of our players: "Finally a German."
SPIEGEL ONLINE: Do the referees protect you?
Gatti: They don't do enough. Many pretend to not hear anything. If you complain you risk getting a yellow card. One linesmen even said to our men on the bench: "Go back to where you came from."
SPIEGEL ONLINE: Did you experience fisticuffs (?) in the Oberliga?
Gatti: No. But that's also because we try to avoid conflicts. In Torgelow there were locals on the field when we wanted to jog after the game. You could feel the tension. Our coach send us back inside because of that. I'm sure: If we reacted verbally against the hostilities more often there would be more fisticuffs.
SPIEGEL ONLINE: How many get abusive?
Gatti: That's difficult to say. Of course it's a minority. But when there's only 200 spectators it's easy to get heard. When the majority doesn't react you get the impression that everyone thinks similar.
SPIEGEL ONLINE: How does the increasing xenophobia show itself?
Gatti: Before there were single remarks behind one's back. Now everyting gets said very openly. The the inhibition threshold has dropped and the acceptance rises. I've been playing in the Oberliga for four years. In the beginning I tried to talk myself into believing: It's not that bad. It's going to stop one time. But far from it, it's getting worse. It's very tough to be exposed to this every week, year after year.
SPIEGEL ONLINE: Holger Fuchs, the executive of the north-eastern German football association (NOFV) disagrees with the claim that the situation got worse. Despite the request to report any such incidents not more complaints have been filed.
Gatti: I understand Mr. Fuchs. I'm afraid we and the other foreign clubs don't do enough here. Moral courage is missing. Two years ago when we played at BFC Dynamo with Yesliyurt they threw flat bread at us. The press reportet the incident but we didn't do anything. BFC Dynamo wasn't punished. The clubs shy the amount of work a complaint means. They say: This will amount to nothing, or: nobody is going to believe us. Furthermore people are afraid of being discriminated against by the referees even more when it's known that one has complained. I myself would write a complaint everty time. We have to fight back, otherwise nothing's going to happen. It's not like these are exceptions. Every two weeks something is happening.
SPIEGEL ONLINE: BFC Dynamo ist known for having violent rightist extremist fans. What actions can such a club take against the xenophobia of it's spectators?
Gatti: That is a really difficult example. Different to other clubs here it's not a minority that has been noticeable. I have played there myself for two years. I didn't know anything about the BFC fans when I signed.
Hier müssen Aktionen mit Signalwirkung gestartet werden (No idea how to translate. Google says: Here actions with signal effect must be started. ;) ). But the club is afraid to put off its fans.
SPIEGEL ONLINE: How could such actions look like?
Gatti: I played for St. Pauly in the early nineties. They also had their share of right wing extremist fans. The club and fans fought against them though. Initiatives like "St.-Pauli-Fans gegen Rechts" were founded and fan tournaments against foreign fan groups took place. The stadium magazine took a firm stand. Step after step the extremists stood alone. However the state, communities and football federations have to help the clubs as well.
SPIEGEL ONLINE: After the recent bad riots in Berlin and Augsburg the DFB has announced at the "violence summit" it will fight racism and xenophobia
.
Gatti: I really hope that things will take off from now. However it's a pity that riots like in Berlin and Augsburg have to happen for actions to be taken. There have been alarming incidents before.
Das Interview führte Johannes Kopp