German soccer mourns death of 15-year-old who died after tournament brawl

BERLIN (AP) — The German soccer federation will hold a weekend of mourning for the 15-year-old player who died after a post-match brawl at an international youth tournament last weekend.

“This incredibly sad and shocking act at a soccer tournament for juniors leaves us speechless,” federation president Bernd Neuendorf said Thursday. “It is the ultimate challenge to all of us to take a firm stand against violence — in soccer and in society as a whole.”

The player from JFC Berlin died Wednesday from severe brain injuries sustained during a post-match brawl on Sunday. A 16-year-old player from a French team remained in detention in Frankfurt pending further inquiries.

The victim was struck in the head or neck area and collapsed, police said. They asked for witnesses who may have video of the brawl to come forward.

The federation said a weekend of mourning will begin Friday when the German and French teams contesting the Under-17 European Championship final in Budapest, Hungary, will line up together behind a banner condemning violence. There will be a minute’s silence for the victim and both teams will wear black armbands, the federation said.

Similar tributes and gestures will be made at the German Cup final between Eintracht Frankfurt and Leipzig on Saturday, and at all 21 local cup finals that day. This will continue for relegation/promotion playoffs taking place next week, the federation said.

“We’re sending a signal together, from the bottom to top, in these sad days,” Neuendorf said. “Together with his teammates and friends, we mourn the loss of a boy whose great passion was soccer.”

The federation and its local associations reaffirmed their commitment to engaging against violence and discrimination.

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