Deniz Undav, a Kurdish footballer playing for German Bundesliga side VfB Stuttgart, expressed gratitude for the outpouring of support he received after being targeted with racist abuse online following a UEFA Europa League match against Fenerbahçe in İstanbul.
"Feels good! Thanks for the incredible support over the past few days," Undav wrote in a post on his social media account.
The abuse came after a brief on-field altercation between Undav and Fenerbahçe midfielder İsmail Yüksek during the match held at Kadıköy's Chobani Stadium on Oct 23, which Fenerbahçe won 1-0. Shortly after the incident, racist comments against Undav began circulating rapidly on Turkish social media platforms.
During a sports TV program, former Fenerbahçe player Serkan Balcı also issued a threatening statement directed at Undav. He later said he hadn't intend to threaten and had nothing against Kurds.
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Speaking to the German broadcaster RTL+ about the tensions in the match, Undav said, "They just booed and whistled. Things like this usually motivate me and my teammates, but today we couldn’t turn that into a win."
His club, VfB Stuttgart, also issued a statement in response to the incident: "VfB Stuttgart 1893 stands for diversity, tolerance, respectful coexistence, and fair play. Racism, extremism, discrimination, and exclusion have no place, neither in stadiums nor anywhere else in society."
Following the online racist attacks, the Hakkâri Bar Association in Turkey's Kurdish-populated east announced on Oct 24 that it would file a criminal complaint regarding the comments made about Undav.
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About Deniz Undav
Born in 1996 in Achim, Germany, Undav is the son of a Kurdish family from Viranşehir in the southeastern province of Urfa.
He began his football journey at a young age with TSV Achim's youth academy, later playing for Werder Bremen, SC Weyhe, and TSV Havelse. He rose to prominence after signing a professional contract with Havelse in 2015.
Undav caught the attention of European clubs during his time with Belgian side Union SG, where he scored 25 goals in 33 matches. His success led to a transfer to Premier League club Brighton & Hove Albion.
In 2024, he was loaned to VfB Stuttgart with a 12 million euro purchase option. Since joining the club, Undav has appeared in 33 matches across the Bundesliga and German Cup, registering 19 goals and 10 assists, making him one of the standout performers of the season.
(TY/VK)
