“Deserves more than a second chance”
Weapon whirl has no consequences for Adeyemi in the DFB team
November 23, 2025 – 4:34 p.mReading time: 2 minutes
Karim Adeyemi recently found himself unintentionally in the spotlight because he bought weapons illegally. However, the incident has no consequences for his DFB career.
Karim Adeyemi does not have to fear any consequences for his national team career after his sentence for illegal possession of weapons. DFB sports director Rudi Völler declared the case closed.
“The boy deserves more than a second chance. He’s a decent guy, he made a mistake,” said Völler on the “Bild Sport” program on Welt TV. The 65-year-old did not want to take part in the discussion about the contents of a so-called “mystery box” that Adeyemi had ordered on the Internet and that had resulted in him being sentenced.
“Of course he knew that it wasn’t like a surprise egg that there was a small car in there. He already knew that, but of course he was adamant that there was nothing unauthorized or illegal in it and that was absolutely credible,” Völler assured.
Adeyemi had previously apologized publicly – both to his club and to the national team. He wrote on Instagram: “At the beginning of 2024, out of carelessness and without really thinking about what I was doing, I ordered a so-called ‘mystery box’ on the Internet. It also contained items that are not permitted under weapons law. Many months later, the package was delivered and it ended up unopened at the police station.” It was “a huge mistake”.
The penalty order with a fixed fine of 60 daily rates had already become final on October 30th. Adeyemi now has to get involved in a social project in Dortmund’s Nordstadt in consultation with his club and the DFB and will soon have to complete joint training sessions with children.
Völler therefore “didn’t want to call the whole thing punishment.” It’s more like “an educational measure that he will now train a youth team for a social purpose.” The DFB welcomes the measure. They had a similar idea there.
Adeyemi will now be evaluated athletically for the 2026 World Cup in the USA, Mexico and Canada. In the 3-3 draw against VfB Stuttgart, the first Bundesliga game after the turmoil surrounding the BVB professional, he scored a goal.