GERMANY’S ILKAY GUNDOGAN had his car vandalised in the wake of him controversially posing for a picture with Turkey President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, German media reported on Saturday.
Gundogan, born in Germany to Turkish parents, filed a complaint with police after his car was damaged on the evening of June 7, the day before Germany’s last warm-up game in Cologne, not far from the hotel where the team was staying.
During the match, home fans loudly booed and whistled Gundogan when he came on and every time he touched the ball as Germany beat Saudi Arabia 2-1.
On Saturday, pictures in Bild, a German tabloid, showed the right rear side window had been smashed.
Police in Cologne told the SID agency that the player had lodged a complaint, the investigation was in progress and political motivation had not been ruled out.
On May 13, Gundogan, who plays for Manchester City, and another English-based, Gelsenkirchen-born, German international of Turkish descent, Mesut Ozil, met Erdogan in London and gave him signed club shirts. Photos were then posted on social media as part of Erdogan’s campaign for re-election as president of Turkey.
After that vote, on June 24, a new system agreed in an April 2017 referendum will come into force, which the opposition says will give the president authoritarian powers.
The German football federation (DFB) responded that the two men had allowed themselves to be manipulated.
“Football and the DFB uphold values that are not entirely embraced by Mr. Erdogan”, said the DFB.
German politicians from the far right to the Greens also criticised the players.
Germany kick off their World Cup campaign against Mexico in Moscow on Sunday.
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Great piece Niall, but there are a couple of other points here.
If, for example, Kenny Egan was to travel to Baku, he could qualify for the Olympics, and would do so in the same weight division as Joe Ward. As a country can only enter one fighter in any weight class, as far as I’m aware, Ward could then not even compete in Istanbul and his Olympic dreams would be dashed, even though he is European Champion. This is the same for any of our ‘stars’ who miss out.
Also, if IABA were to send Ward and Moylette, the European champions would be seeded and thus get an easier draw. If they send other boxers in the same weight classes, that seeding is lost.
Thanks for the comments Gavin.
I see Kenny has declared that he’s stepping up to Heavyweight for this week’s competition, which was presumably decided in order to avoid the clash with Ward that you mentioned. It’ll be interesting to see how it all plays out over the next week.