Europe

A Soccer Team Was Photographed In Blackface For A Surprising Reason

A German soccer team posted a photo on Facebook showing members with black skin in support of a teammate who suffered a racially motivated attack.

A Soccer Team Was Photographed In Blackface For A Surprising Reason
Facebook / Deinster SV
SMS

Usually, when someone is photographed in blackface, it sparks immediate backlash. But one German soccer team is being praised for altering its players' skin color.

Lower-division German team Deinster SV posted this team photo, featuring players with digitally darkened skin to show solidarity with a black player who was reportedly assaulted over the weekend.

The team's coach said Deinster SV player and Sudanese refugee Emad Babiker was verbally and physically assaulted on Easter. 

The team posted the photo in response, saying that a adding the hashtag #unitedwestand.

There’s a growing anti-refugee sentiment in Germany. In March, far-right party Alternative for Germany, or AfD, made huge gains in regional elections on an anti-refugee platform.

While Deinster SV admitted some people weren’t fans of showing players in blackface, a spokesman said, "This has nothing to do with racism. We just wanted to show solidarity." 

This video includes images from Facebook / Deinster SV and Getty Images.