Second division soccer team Hertha BSC gave the defender backing after abuse against Toni Leistner.
“We have taken note of the banner and condemn any kind of hostility, not only online, but also on and off the pitch. This message in no way corresponds to our welcoming culture,” said managing director Thomas Herrich via Twitter.
Previously, fans on the Internet and on posters had denounced the past of the 32-year-old, who played for local rivals Union from 2014 to 2018 and once described Berlin as “red and white”, i.e. in the colors of the Köpenicker.
In the morning, strangers had put up a poster in front of the training ground that was marked with the abbreviation “HM03” and referred to the ultra group “Hauptstadtmafia 03”. The banner was removed shortly thereafter, as reported by “Bild”.
According to Herrich, the club will contact the supporters: “We stand for open communication. There has already been an exchange with fan representatives. We will continue to seek dialogue with those parts of the fan scene that have expressed themselves in this way .”