Soccer Star Boycotts Israel
Germany’s Iranian-born soccer star Ashkan Dejagah has been making headlines these days, but it’s not because of his spectacular plays on the pitch. Earlier this week, Dejagah reportedly refused to take part in an October 12 game against Israel in Tel Aviv.
The 21-year-old, who plays for Bundesliga club VfB Wolfsburg, told the German Football Association that his reasons for withdrawing from the match were “personal,” Ha’aretz reported, but then told the daily tabloid Bild that his withdrawal was a political decision.
In a later interview with the tabloid BZ, Dejagah seemed to be backtracking, saying, “I have nothing against Israel, but I fear I would have trouble entering Iran later.” Dejagah’s comments were met with fury in Germany, and the Central Council of Jews in Germany called on the team to punish the player.
I hope you appreciated this article. Before you go, I’d like to ask you to please support the Forward’s award-winning, nonprofit journalism during this critical time.
Now more than ever, American Jews need independent news they can trust, with reporting driven by truth, not ideology. We serve you, not any ideological agenda.
At a time when other newsrooms are closing or cutting back, the Forward has removed its paywall and invested additional resources to report on the ground from Israel and around the U.S. on the impact of the war, rising antisemitism and the protests on college campuses.
Readers like you make it all possible. Support our work by becoming a Forward Member and connect with our journalism and your community.
Make a gift of any size and become a Forward member today. You’ll support our mission to tell the American Jewish story fully and fairly.
— Rachel Fishman Feddersen, Publisher and CEO
Join our mission to tell the Jewish story fully and fairly.
