Coach Marco Rose of Bundesliga club RB Leipzig has responded to hate chants against East Germany during the 5:1 win at 1 FC Cologne with a fiery appeal. "The people who don't know that well over there with us should come," said Rose, who was born in Leipzig during the GDR era. "There are a lot of cool people there. Just like here. There are a few idiots. Just like here. So in the end, everything is actually very, very similar. That's why we tore down the wall at some point, even in people's minds."
In the end, he "didn't want to read too much into it" and above all "wanted to unite and not divide. That's why it's important that we try to classify this." The score had just been 5:1 in an emotional game, "and a lot of people out there have the right attitude and mindset. We should take a leaf out of their book and perhaps correct the others a little."
Cologne's managing director Christian Keller had strong words against the chants. "We also had an anti-discrimination match day today. All the more reason to wonder what's going on in some people's heads," he said. "Such chants are not acceptable. It's only a minority. But it's a shame that this minority exists."
Rose defended his player Xavi, whose cheers after the 1-0 win had provoked the Cologne fans. "He always runs to the corner flag after goals. The location was unfortunate. But he had no bad intentions at all and didn't want to provoke anyone," the RB coach assured. "Why a glass bottle flies onto the pitch is the more appropriate question," he added, referring to a scene involving an RB corner kick in the 42nd minute. "If he hits someone, regardless of whether it's someone in a white or blue shirt, then it hurts." Keller, meanwhile, announced that he wanted to identify the bottle thrower: "I hope we find some video."
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