Germany’s sporting director Rudi Völler has criticized Karim Adeyemi’s possession of illegal weapons, calling it “naive and stupid” as the player faces potential sanctions from the German Football Association.
Germany’s sporting director Rudi Völler has slammed Karim Adeyemi’s possession of illegal weapons, describing it as “naive and stupid”. Adeyemi, a Borussia Dortmund and Germany star, was fined €450,000 for possessing a brass knuckle and an electric taser.
Völler spoke out about the issue after Germany’s 6-0 win over Slovakia, saying, “First of all, we wanted to stand behind the guy, while still dealing with him critically. We also don’t want to condemn him. At that age, we all made a lot of mistakes – just not ones like this.” He added that Adeyemi’s actions were “naive and stupid, to order something online when you’re not 100 percent sure what’s in it.”
Adeyemi’s lawyer claimed the prohibited items came from a mystery box ordered online via TikTok. Völler revealed he was first informed of the case by Borussia Dortmund sporting director Lars Ricken after Germany’s 2-0 win over Luxembourg.
The matter will now be “calmly addressed together with Dortmund,” who has it “under control with him,” Völler added. Adeyemi missed the Luxembourg game due to suspension and did not feature against Slovakia.
Germany head coach Julian Nagelsmann and Völler refrained from commenting before Monday’s game, but Nagelsmann confirmed he and Völler had spoken with Adeyemi about the issue.
The German Football Association may impose sanctions on Adeyemi, but Völler didn’t specify what these might be, saying, “I don’t want to get ahead of things, that will come later.”
Adeyemi’s mistake has sparked concern, but Völler emphasized the need for support, saying, “You have to punish from time to time, but also offer support”.
