Schalke fined over racist abuse of Hertha Berlin player

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Schalke has been fined 50,000 euros ($54,600) after some of its fans subjected Hertha Berlin player Jordan Torunarigha to racist abuse during a German Cup game.

The German soccer federation (DFB) said Tuesday that Schalke can set aside 16,000 euros ($17,500) of the fine for “concrete measures in the fight against racism and discrimination, which the DFB would have to verify by Sept. 30, 2020.”

The federation said Torunarigha was racially abused by fans in the south stand of Schalke’s stadium in the 85th minute of the sides’ game on Feb. 4 and that “monkey noises were made.”

Torunarigha, the son of former Nigerian player Ojokojo Torunarigha, was sent off in extra time when he picked up a second yellow card after appearing increasingly upset as the game went on. The 22-year-old German defender was consoled by Schalke’s Amine Harit.

Hertha teammate Niklas Stark said he heard “monkey noises and racist insults” and called on German soccer to support Torunarigha.

“It was hard to miss, after the game and before extra time, how he looked and that he had been distressed by it,” Stark told Hertha's website.

Schalke won 3-2 to reach the quarterfinals.

Hertha coach Jürgen Klinsmann, who resigned over other matters on Tuesday, said after the game that he thought the abuse played a role in Torunarigha's red card and that the referee should have taken his emotional state into account when considering a second booking.

Schalke said at the time it would work with police to look into the situation.

“Behavior like this does not just go against FC Schalke 04's stadium regulations, mission statement and statutes, but also contradicts all of our values,” the Gelsenkirchen-based club said.

The DFB warned the club there would be further sanctions if there was a repeat of the abuse.

Schalke chairman Clemens Tönnies stepped down from his position for three months earlier this season after making racist comments about Africans at a public meeting.