Shitstorm against Swedish footballer Durmaz

In the World Championship game between Sweden and Germany the Swedish player Jimmy Durmaz fouled in the last minute leading to a free kick and victory goal for Germany. This in turn prompted a storm of racist abuse on social media against Durmaz, who has Turkish roots. The Swedish press is appalled.

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Dagens Nyheter (SE) /

Defend the open community

Sweden must prevent football from being taken over by nationalist agitators, Dagens Nyheter demands:

“Sport is a microcosm of society. There will always be idiots in fan clubs. They will try to push through their mental passport controls for first, second and third generation immigrants to Sweden. They will turn a blind eye to the mistakes of blonde-haired people, but never for those with dark hair. They will feel entitled to demand unswerving loyalty and a single identity although human lives are far more complex. ... This nationalist mindset is impoverished and dangerous. Especially now the majority must make an effort to build up an open community.”

Svenska Dagbladet (SE) /

Origins are not what counts

Not just hatred was vented on social media, people also came out in support of Jimmy Durmaz - but they also frequently made reference to his country of origin, which Svenska Dagbladet finds just as misguided:

“Every person has the right to be judged on the basis of their character and achievements. ... Nothing counts except the effort made. ... The next time one of our players - whether they were born abroad themselves or born to parents who were born abroad - achieves something exceptional, congratulate them with reference to their efforts and talent. But do not refer to their background. Otherwise you show that you are just as brainless as the Durmaz haters.”