- German soccer fans hurled anti-Semitic abuse and beer at supporters of an Israeli team on Thursday.
- It was the first time an Israeli soccer team played in Berlin's Olympiastadion.
- The stadium was built for the 1936 Olympics, which were hosted by Nazi
Germany .
Supporters of the Union Berlin soccer team hurled anti-Semitic abuse and beer cans at supporters of Israel's Maccabi Haifa during a Thursday match at a stadium built by the Nazis, the Associated Press reported.
Haifa fans were bombarded with anti-Jewish insults, among others, and had beer thrown on them, the report said. One Union Berlin supporter tried to set alight an Israeli flag before he was stopped by police.
Another Union Berlin fan gestured at Haifa fans with a Nazi salute and abused those who called him out, according to a tweet by the Fare Network, which combats discrimination in soccer.
In a separate incident, supporters of Union Berlin joked about poison gas as a group of Haifa fans walked by, according to the AP.
Members of the local German-Israeli society's youth branch also said they were called "shitty Jews" and threatened by the German team's supporters, the group wrote on Twitter.
It was the first time that an Israeli team played at Berlin's Olympiastadion, built for the 1936 Olympics by Nazi Germany. About 1,000 of the more than 23,000 fans in attendence were supporting Haifa, according to the AP.
The Europa Conference League match ended in a 3-0 victory for Union Berlin. The team's president, Dirk Zingler, apologized for the abusive behavior of the team's fans afterward.
Haifa, making no remarks about the abuse, tweeted its appreciation for Union Berlin after the game.
"Thank you for the great hospitality," the team wrote. "It was an exciting game in front of your and our audience and also in this stadium that has its meaning. Thank you and see you in Israel."