Herman Winkler (Twitter)
Winkler, who is also the head of operations in the eastern state of Saxony, said in a post on Instagram that the capital had been closed for a visit by ‘a former Ukrainian actor’, mocking Ukrainian leader Volodymyr Zelensky’s visit to Berlin
The German FA (DFB) on Monday condemned a social media post made by one of the organisation’s vice-presidents, which ridiculed Ukrainian leader Volodymyr Zelensky’s visit to Berlin.
Hermann Winkler, vice president of youth football at the German FA and head of operations in the eastern state of Saxony, said in a post on Instagram on Sunday that the capital had been put off for a visit by “a former Ukrainian actor”.
Read this also Liverpool maintain top-four charge to edge Leicester City closer to relegation
The post, accompanied by a photo of the Soviet World War Two memorial in East Berlin’s Treptower Park, complained that the “largely closed” city was “partially closed to tourists” and said “at least the monument is still standing. “
Access to the government district in Berlin was severely restricted on Sunday on the occasion of Zelensky’s first visit to Germany since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
He met with Chancellor Olaf Scholz and President Frank-Walter Steinmeier in the German capital before traveling to the western city of Aachen to receive a European award for efforts towards European unity.
German FA president Bernd Neuendorff said on Monday that Winkler’s statements were “intolerable and disrespectful”, revealing that he had called to inform him that the sentiments were “inconsistent with the principles of the German FA.”
Winkler, who has since deactivated her Instagram account, apologized on Facebook on Monday, saying she made the statement “at the memorial in a very emotional state.”
“I won’t write it like that again. I apologize for it and for the irritation it caused.”
Winkler said in the post that he condemned “the war and Putin’s aggression”, adding that “everything must be done to bring this war to an end as soon as possible.”
The official, who previously served as a politician with the Christian Democrats (CDU) in Saxony, has previously come under criticism for his statements and his ties to Russia.
On Monday, CDU MP Marco Vanderwitz told the German magazine Spiegel Winkler that he “called for a coalition with the right-wing AfD” when he was a member of the European Parliament.
Read this also Wrestlers to take their protest to global stage, reach out to Olympians from other countries for support
“It fits into today’s picture” that Winkler “insults the Ukrainian president and his brave men.”
The German FA has scheduled a friendly match between Germany and Ukraine in Bremen on 12 June, with all proceeds going to the war-torn country.
“We want to use it for peace and international understanding and to send a clear signal against war and destruction,” Neuendorff said in April announcing the fixture.
(This story has not been edited by News18 staff and is published from a syndicated news agency feed)