Nadiem Amiri and Peter Bosz condemn the racial abuse of Porto striker Moussa Marega.
Bayer Leverkusen strongly condemns racism ahead of Porto match
SHOWS: LEVERKUSEN, GERMANY (FEBRUARY 19, 2020) (REUTERS - ACCESS ALL) 1.
(SOUNDBITE) (German) LEVERKUSEN MIDFIELDER, NADIEM AMIRI, SAYING (ON RACISM): "I heard about it.
I think lots of people heard about it.
Something like that is unacceptable in soccer and in the world.
We all have the same colour of blood and I hope that people who do such things are being punished and excluded from soccer.
I also experienced an incident like that when I was 17, playing in the regional league but I got over it relatively quickly and looked ahead.
I hope we all say no to racism." 2.
WHITE FLASH 3.
(SOUNDBITE) (German) BAYER LEVERKUSEN COACH, PETER BOSZ, SAYING (ON RACISM): "Let me be very clear -- and Nadiem already said it -- there is no place for that in soccer or in society and we must not accept it.
We must not look the other way.
We have to be very clear and say: we don't want that.
We discussed it in the team and I think Leverkusen's position is very clear on that.
We don't accept it.
Period." STORY: Bayer Leverkusen attacker Nadiem Amiri on Wednesday (February 19) strongly condemned racism and said it had no place in soccer or society.
His remarks came ahead of his team's Europa League game against FC Porto on Thursday (February 20), who's forward Moussa Marega suffered abuse during a Portuguese league match on Sunday.
The Mali forward was subject to abuse throughout his team's 2-1 win at Vitoria Guimaraes and was eventually substituted, shortly after his team mates restrained him when he tried to walk off the pitch in protest.
Amiri added that he too experienced a racist attack when he was 17, playing in a German regional league, saying "but I got over it relatively quickly and looked ahead." Leverkusen coach Peter Bosz echoed Amiri's words, saying that the club's stance on racism is clear and that they do not accept it ever.