German soccer club lets go of two youth players after racist comments

LEIPZIG, Germany –

Bundesliga soccer club Leipzig says it has released two players from its under-19 team after they made racist comments about other players.

“Both made demonstrably racist comments about fellow players and thus behaved in an extremely unsporting and unacceptable manner,” the club said in a statement, adding that it released them as soon as the matter came to light.

Leipzig didn’t name the players or give their ages.

Leipzig coach Marco Rose praised other players on the youth team for reporting the comments to academy staff.

“Someone there stood up and said that this is not the way it works,” Rose said. “The club then took necessary and correct steps.”