Asamoah: "Fight against racism is ongoing struggle"

Once again, football takes a stand against racism by actively supporting the International Weeks Against Racism, set to run from 11 to 25 March 2012. In Germany's stadiums, anti-racism messages will be read out over the tannoy, match programmes are going to include full-page adverts, and a spot produced on behalf of the German Intercultural Council will be shown on video scoreboards, the motto being "racism begins in your mind."

Gerald Asamoah has experienced racism in person. Capped 43 times for Germany, the Ghanaian-born striker was part of two German World Cup squads (in 2002 and 2006). Even so, on many occasions he's had to endure racist chanting from the stands. In this interview with DFB.de's writer Maximilian Geis, he looks back on his beginnings as an African player in Germany, talks about racist abuse from the stands, and how he called off his resignation.

DFB.de: Gerald, the key message of the Intercultural Council's video is "racism begins in your mind." Have you had a chance to see it?

Gerald Asamoah: Yes, and I think that the spot asks all the right questions.

DFB.de: … pointing at peoples' different colour, religion, and cultural background – differences that often cause racist behaviour.

Asamoah: Sadly so, but should we not consider that very diversity an asset? I think it's important to deal with the issue and get people thinking.

DFB.de: In 2006, you were insulted in a World Cup fixture planner distributed by neo-Nazi groups…

Asamoah: Yes, that came from absolutely nowhere and I admit it hurt a lot. But in the end I decided to just ignore it. You've got to move on, always.

DFB.de: At an away match in Rostock right after the World Cup, you were the target of monkey chants from groups of spectators, which led you to announce your resignation from football. Are you happy not to have followed that impulse?

Asamoah: Well, at first it was hard to take. But then I said to myself “Hey, I've played for Germany; we've just hosted a fantastic tournament showing that Germans can be laid-back and open to foreign cultures; the national team is a multi-cultural melting pot where all of us players are proud to play for Germany – if I leave the game now, would that not be a triumph for a racist minority?” And that was the last thing I wanted, to give them that kind of satisfaction. So I kept on playing, and here I am, six years on and still going strong, in with a mighty chance to win promotion to the Bundesliga with my current club, Spielvereinigung Greuther Fürth.

DFB.de: You make it seem like shaking off racist abuse is the easiest thing. Would you put this down to your sunny disposition? Or to learning from your father who, after the 1978 military coup in Ghana, fled the country to seek refuge first in Italy and Poland and finally Germany?

Asamoah: Sure, my father taught me a lot for life, but it's also in my nature not to allow others to drag me down. I always try to look to the future.

DFB.de: There's been much talk lately about racism in English football, with England international John Terry and Uruguay's Luís Suarez in the dock for racially abusing opponents...

Asamoah: Yes, I've seen news reports about that, and it's happened to me in the Bundesliga, too. It really hurts to be victimised just because you're black. Which is why we footballers have to be role models and insist that football has no room for racism. It might just be that some hard sentences need to be dished out if you want to make a difference.

DFB.de: Is this something for the football community to do?

Asamoah: I'd say it's more of a social problem. But in Germany and, in fact, Europe as a whole, football isn't just hugely popular, it's also part of the social fabric, so both players and spectators must show the way.

DFB.de: The point of the International Weeks Against Racism is to make people realise that it's wrong to just look the other way. Is there any initiative you would like to mention?

Asamoah: Any anti-racism initiative, from the smallest gesture to the biggest project, deserves all the praise and support it can get. But now that you ask, I think Schule ohne Rassismus – Schule mit Courage (school without racism, school with courage) is a great initiative with a wide agenda beyond "just" racism. I'm actually one of the patrons of a school in the Ruhr area. Fürth co-operate in several local projects and I'm definitely going to add my name to the list of contributors.

DFB.de: A few years ago, you spoke of a benefit match to promote integration and the fight against racism. Would you still welcome the idea?

Asamoah: Absolutely, I'd fully support any such project, but let's not forget that fighting racism is an ongoing struggle. Just reacting to racist incidents is not enough – we've got to reach a stage where they don't happen at all.

DFB.de: To conclude, a question about football – you've been sidelined for a while with a torn thigh muscle, do you think you'll be fit for the crucial DFB Cup semi-final (DFB.de: Fürth vs Dortmund, Tuesday 20 March 2012, kick-off 8:30 pm)?

Asamoah: Well, for a long-time Schalke player like me, missing a fixture against Dortmund just isn't on (laughs). The injury seems to be healing well, I can do runs and am getting the best possible treatment. I might even get a few minutes when we play against TSV München 1860 this coming weekend. Muscle injuries take their time, but Greuther Fürth are the only Bundesliga 2 club left in the competition and we have a chance to achieve something big. I'd hate not be part of it.