A Czech midfielder for the Sparta Prague soccer team is being investigated for giving a Nazi salute.
Czech soccer federation spokesman Vit Pavlusek said Pavel Horvath had engaged in conduct that was “unsportsmanlike” and said a further investigation was being conducted by the federation’s disciplinary committee.
Horvath allegedly twice motioned towards Sparta fans with an outstretched right arm during a match against another Czech team, Viktoria Zizkov, on Saturday.
Horvath, however, has told the Czech press that he is not a fascist and that the salute was misunderstood. He said he was trying to calm the crowd with the hand motion.
Some Sparta fans have earned a reputation for anti-Semitism as they frequently chant “Jews, Jews” against opposing teams, particularly their biggest rival, Slavia.
JTA has documented Jewish history in real-time for over a century. Keep our journalism strong by joining us in supporting independent, award-winning reporting.
