An Iranian-born German soccer player refused to take part in a game in Israel.
The German soccer federation announced Monday that Ashkan Dejagah, a member of the national under-21 team, had withdrawn from a European Championship qualifier against Israel. That game is to be held Friday in Tel Aviv.
Dejagah, who was born in Tehran but is also a German national, said in media interviews that his decision was “political.” He indicated that he is mainly concerned about repercussions should he try to travel to Iran after visiting Israel.
German pundits and politicians, as well as the local Jewish community, have called for punitive action against Dejagah.
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