Sport: Soccer Category: Scores & Results

German pre-season friendly between Cottbus and Halle abandoned over racism incident

Yahoo Sports • 1 min read • Latest: Jul 11, 2026, 3:18 PM

Last updated Jul 11, 2026

German pre-season friendly between Cottbus and Halle abandoned over racism incident

Summary

A pre-season friendly match between Energie Cottbus and Halle was abandoned on July 11, 2026, due to racist abuse directed at Cottbus player King Manu. The incident occurred during the match held in Finsterwalde, eastern Germany, where fans made monkey noises and verbally harassed Manu. Upon learning of the abuse, police intervened and identified two supporters, leading to their removal from the stadium. Following the incident, the organizers decided to cancel the match for safety reasons, prompting over 3,000 fans to disperse. The clubs jointly condemned the racism, stating there is no place for such behavior in their organizations.

Source Links

Yahoo Sports

By the Numbers

•Match abandoned due to crowd racism in Finsterwalde
•Cottbus player King Manu was the target of abuse
•Police removed two Halle supporters from the venue
•Over 3,000 fans left the stadium following the cancellation
•Clubs issued a statement condemning racism

Latest Updates

3:18 PMYahoo Sports — German pre-season friendly abandoned due to crowd racism

What they're saying

"
A pre-season friendly between German second-division newcomers Energie Cottbus and fourth-tier Halle was abandoned on Saturday due to racist remarks from the crowd. Cottbus player King Manu was the subject of monkey noises and was verbally abused by fans at the ground in Finsterwalde in eastern Germany.
— Yahoo Sports

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