German soccer players to visit Auschwitz after match against Israeli team
German Jewish community leader will accompany players; English team to visit camps in early June
FRANKFURT, Germany (AP) — German soccer players and officials will travel to Poland Friday to visit the Nazi concentration camp Auschwitz-Birkenau, after a friendly match against Israel ahead of the European Championship.
Germany captain Philipp Lahm, Poland-born players Miroslav Klose and Lukas Podolski, coach Joachim Loew, German Soccer Federation (DFB) president Wolfgang Niersbach and other officials will tour the death camp along with a German Jewish community leader before the squad travels to Poland that is co-hosting the Euro 2012 with Ukraine.
Jewish leaders in Germany have been urging the country’s soccer federation to have the squad visit Auschwitz during the tournament that runs from June 8-July 1.
English Soccer Association said Tuesday that England squad will visit Auschwitz soon after their arrival June 6 to their training base in Krakow.
Copyright The Associated Press 2012