Opinion
The “scandal” surrounding Werder’s Dešić is shameful
Werder Bremen’s Medina Dešić gets caught in the crossfire for holding up a poster and is insulted in a sexist manner. The case shows what is going wrong in German football.
The Montenegrin footballer Medina Dešić received hate messages, felt obliged to apologize and now, according to “” information, the DFB has even initiated an investigation against her.
What bad thing did the Werder Bremen player do? Well, she held up a provocative poster.
That’s what happened: The Werder women had just won the derby against rivals Hamburger SV 2-0 on Saturday. During the green and white celebrations after the final whistle, Dešić grabbed a piece of cardboard from the home fan camp and held it up – clearly visible to the 37,000 people in the Weserstadion and the television cameras. You could see the HSV logo surrounded by a pile of poop.
Of course this is a deliberate provocation. And it’s okay if Hamburg’s tempers run high because of this. Some HSV fans in the stadium reacted to the action by whistling, who can blame them? However, the reactions in the hours and days that followed were ridiculous and wildly exaggerated.
Player apologizes – even though she doesn’t have to
Angry HSV fans accused Dešić of disrespect on social networks. And some Werder fans also criticized the 32-year-old for her action. Dešić apparently received so many comments and messages after the game that she felt a public apology was necessary.
“At the derby, in a moment of euphoria, I held up a fan’s sign that was next to it,” wrote the Montenegrin international Instagram. “I didn’t want to offend or provoke anyone, I just ran out of emotions. I’m sorry to everyone who felt offended by this.”
Bremen player Medina Desic caused a stir with a provocative sign after the northern derby between Werder Bremen and Hamburger SV. Two days later, the Werder player publicly apologized for the poster campaign.#skysportwomen #desic pic.twitter.com/wTB4swRc3h
— Sky Sport (@SkySportDE) October 13, 2025
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It’s not Dešić who should question herself, but fans who are outraged by her teasing. Such taunts are part of a derby. And if you can’t stand it, you might want to spend Saturday with a tea party.
What we should actually be outraged about in the Medina Dešić case
The real scandal is that the player was then violently attacked on social networks and insulted in a sexist manner. Dešić reacted correctly and posted one of the hate messages she received on her Instagram story. “Look forward to the second leg, you nu–e,” it says.
A player is insulted – censored but clearly – as a “hooker” and the DFB is investigating her because of a piece of cardboard. One could hardly find a better example to describe what is wrong in German football.
In men’s football you want “real guys” and friction. When Marvin Ducksch, then still a Werder player, tore the corner flag with the HSV flag out of the ground and cheered with it after the 3-2 away win in the last northern derby against Hamburger SV, he was celebrated by the Bremen fans. There was no scandal after that.
Dešić, on the other hand, is expected to be happy without living out the rivalry between the northern clubs. Instead of condemning a player because of a cardboard poster, it would be time to seriously question how hate and double standards are dealt with in football.
Transparency note: The author of this text is a Werder fan, but would also be outraged if it were about an HSV player.
Source: Stern
I am Pierce Boyd, a driven and ambitious professional working in the news industry. I have been writing for 24 Hours Worlds for over five years, specializing in sports section coverage. During my tenure at the publication, I have built an impressive portfolio of articles that has earned me a reputation as an experienced journalist and content creator.
