FIFA prosecutes Germany for soccer fans' Nazi chants

World soccer body to rule soon on shouts of ‘Sieg Hiel’ by supporters of the German national team at recent match

ZURICH — FIFA opened a disciplinary case against the German soccer federation after fans chanted Nazi slogans during a World Cup qualifying game in the Czech Republic.

German officials have said the fans did not buy tickets through its official process for last Friday’s game in Prague.

FIFA said “several incidents” are under investigation and a case is also open against the Czech federation. Home teams are responsible for security at their stadium.

Verdicts and sanctions should be decided in late September.

About 200 German supporters chanted slogans during their team’s 2-1 win, and verbally abused forward Timo Werner, who scored the first goal.

German soccer president Reinhard Grindel, a member of the ruling committees at FIFA and UEFA, said European federations must work together more closely to control ticket distribution.

Germany’s national football coach Joachim Loew gives a press conference in Stuttgart, southwestern Germany, September 3, 2017. (AFP/Thomas Kienzle)

Following the incident, Germany’s national soccer team coach Joachim Loew dubbed as “shameful” Nazi-era chanting by a hardcore group of “so-called fans.”

The chants of “Sieg Hiel” (Hail Victory) were particularly embarrassing from a German perspective as they came on the anniversary of the invasion of Poland by Nazi Germany, which started World War II in 1939.

After fears from German officials of a repeat of the Nazi chants did not materialize during Germany’s match Monday night against Norway, Loew said the German fans standing ovation for Werner “showed the beautiful side of football.”