By Andrew Warshaw, Chief Correspondent
January 11 – Yet another racism controversy has hit the headlines – this time in Germany where Ghanaian-born former international Gerald Asamoah has criticised his ex-teammates, including skipper Michael Ballack, for failing to back him and speak out against abuse.
In his autobiography, excerpts of which were published in the mass circulation Bild newspaper, Asamoah describes how he was racially abused throughout one particular game while playing for Schalke against Hansa Rostock’s reserve side in the German Cup in 2006 at the peak of his career.
Asamoah, who not long before had been a German squad member at the 2006 World Cup, said the abuse was so bad the referee wanted to abandon the game at half-time.
However the midfielder, the first African-born player to play for Germany, said he waited in vain for support from those teammates who had been with him in the national team.
“The fact is I would have wished at the time for a reaction from former players in the national team and especially from the captain (Ballack) – a clear statement against incidents like these,” Asamoah says in the book which is about to go on sale.
“I was very disappointed at the time and am more upset the more I think about that now.”
Asamoah, 34, who now plays for Greuther Fuerth, said he had thought about quitting the national team
at the time.
“What sense is there, I thought, in playing for a country whose fans don’t want me?” he wrote.
Asamoah played 43 times for Germany and was also in the 2002 World Cup squad, appearing as a substitute in the 2-0 defeat to Brazil in the final.
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