Bundesliga
Adeyemi apologises for weapon possession
Karim Adeyemi has spoken out and apologised after it was revealed that he had been charged with the possession of illegal weapons.
It emerged last week that Adeyemi, who was on international duty with Germany at the time but did not play in either 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifier against Luxembourg or Slovakia, had previously been charged and fined €450,000 due to the possession of two illegal weapons - a knuckleduster and a taser, both of whcih are not allowed without an official permit.
Speaking to domestic broadcaster ZDF after the Slovakia game, Germany's sporting director Rudi Völler said: "Julian [Nagelsmann] and I both spoke to Karim and wanted to hear his side of the story, and he attempted to explain the situation.
"We have to be critical, that is clear. But we want to stand behind the lad, which we have also done.
"We don't want to condemn him. We all made mistakes when we were his age, although perhaps not to this extent. Players have to be punished, but we also have to some of them. Young players make mistakes. In this case, it was a stupid one. I don't want to predict what happens next. We will decide in due course."
Adeyemi has now spoken out himself with a post on Instagram to explain the situation:
"You have probably seen the headlines about me in the last few days. It is not easy for me to talk about this. At the beginning of 2024, out of carelessness and without really thinking about what I was doing, I ordered a so-called ‘mystery box’ on the internet. It contained items that are not permitted under weapons legislation. Many months later, the package was delivered and ended up unopened at the police station.
"Nevertheless, it was a huge mistake. One that I am very sorry about, that cost me dearly and that I deeply regret. I know that I am in the public eye and have a role model function. I did not live up to that. That is precisely why it hurts me all the more that I acted so recklessly. I have learned more from this than I can put into words. And I promise you that I will avoid such mistakes in the future. Thank you to everyone who still trusts and supports me."