German team: Fans gave Nazi salute to Israeli

Bayern Munich's Austrian midfielder David Alaba (L) and Kaiserslautern's Israeli striker Itay Shechter vie for the ball during the German first division Bundesliga football match FC Bayern Munich vs 1. / Photo credit should read GUENTER SCHIFFMANN/AFP/Getty Images

KAISERSLAUTERN, Germany - The German soccer team Kaiserslautern has reported a group of fans to police for allegedly giving Nazi salutes to an Israeli player.

The struggling Bundesliga club says the salutes toward striker Itay Shechter were made during practice Sunday, one day after a 4-0 loss at Mainz dropped Kaiserslautern to next to last.

Kaiserslautern says fewer than 10 people took part, and they belong to a group of hooligans that has been banned from games for years.

The club has asked police to investigate and possibly file charges and has urged fans to identify the perpetrators. The team adds says in a statement it "distances itself expressly from any form of racism, discrimination or anti-Semiticism."

[lucifersshadow]

Perhaps they were thinking about Israel's constant attempt to weedle more "lebensraum" out of Palestine when they did it. In that case, it wasn't nazism, per se, it was just mirroring. It is sad that Israel has become more like the despicable nazi enemy they pretend to hate so much. You'd think that they would want to be less racist themselves, less "lebensraum" seeking given how racist and land-grabbing their enemy, the nazis were. . . . However, racism and land-grabbing is alive and it does thrive . . . in Isreal.

[KnowerseekerReturns]

Sounds like it was handled properly; this is a non-story.

[Overruled1]

As despicable as the Nazi salute would be to Europeans, and of course Israelis' we in America can't be busted for doing such...It's almost ridiculous but our constitution provides for equal protection.

[whatever-one]

Since we are being politically correct -- "hooligan" is a racial slur against the Irish!!

[billpl-2009]

less the 10 people
during practice
nobody got hurt
not on TMZ

this is News?

why?

[notparicular]

Take a deep breath. Get over it. It is not a big deal.

[twmat311]

When it's seen as "not a big deal," that's when it HAS to be a big deal. Outside the circle of those who say it was all made up, the rest of the world has to recognize that era for its evil, and ensure it's not repeated.

[erpicferl]

it's spelled "particular" moron.

[Forty-Four]

Funny, I didn't know the word "hooligans" was part of a professional report when it isn't part of a quote.

Anyway, I'm fairly certain that that is punishable by law in any part of Europe...well, doing anything having to do with the Nazi party. They had to edit the swastikas out of Inglorious Basterds in order to show it in Europe

[moshe05]

i do believe that 'hooligan' generally refers to violent soccer fans.