PEREDA

🚨🎙️ Manuel Neuer on Jesús Owono’s horrific challenge on Jesús de Miguel and the impact of racism on football. 🗣️Manuel Neuer: “First of all, my condolences go to Jesús de Miguel’s family, his loved ones and everyone affected by this terrible tragedy. Honestly, it’s heartbreaking to see something like this happen on a football pitch. Nobody wants to see a football match end this way. “I’ve seen the challenge and I’ve also seen the reactions from people. It’s a terrible incident, there’s no denying that. But speaking as a professional goalkeeper, I also understand that these situations can happen during a match. Sometimes you come out to clear a ball, you judge the situation in a split second and things can go terribly wrong. “I’m not saying this to excuse Jesús Owono or suggest he shouldn’t face the consequences of what happened. If there are disciplinary decisions to be made, that’s for the appropriate authorities. But personally, I don’t see a reason to conclude that he deliberately went out there to hurt someone. Sometimes luck is simply against you, and unfortunately, he’s now facing the consequences of a moment that has changed so many lives. “But what I’ve also found disturbing is some of the comments people have been throwing around, calling him a murderer and directing so much hatred towards him. He’s a goalkeeper who went out to do his job, and something terrible happened. We can discuss the challenge, demand accountability and express our sadness without forgetting that there’s another human being involved in this situation. “Honestly, some of these reactions also remind me of how much we’ve been fighting against racism in football over the years. We’ve spent so much time telling people that football should unite us regardless of colour, nationality or background. I don’t think we should use a tragic situation like this to start bringing hatred and racial divisions back into the conversation. “Whether a goalkeeper is Black or White, this job comes with enormous responsibility. You have to concentrate, read the situation, know when to come out and when to clear the ball. Owono came out to do exactly that, but unfortunately, things went terribly wrong for him. “I’m not asking anyone to forget what happened, and I’m certainly not asking people to stop demanding accountability. I’m only asking that we remember our humanity when discussing such a painful incident. “Once again, my deepest condolences to Jesús de Miguel’s family. Nobody should have to experience something like this. And please, no room for racism, no room for hatred. Football is for all of us.”