Makkabi Berlin set a milestone in the German Cup on Sunday when it became the first Jewish team to compete in the competition that was first played under the Nazis in 1935, The Associated Press reported.
Things did not go well on the field for Makkabi, a fifth-tier side of office workers and other part-timers, as it was beaten 6-0 by Wolfsburg in their first-round match.
The home team swiftly went behind with the visitors scoring two early goals through Lukas Nmecha and Jonas Wind to dampen hopes of an upset.
Makkabi didn’t fold against the Bundesliga team backed by car manufacturer Volkswagen, and Kanto Fitiavana Voahariniaina was unfortunate to see an apparent goal ruled out for offside.
Wolfsburg put the result beyond doubt early in the second half and would have scored more but for Makkabi goalkeeper Jack Krause, who earned the home fans’ biggest cheers. Tiago Tomás had two goals off the bench for Wolfsburg.
“I think there were one or two too many goals,” said Makkabi captain Doron Bruck, who rued Voahariniaina’s canceled effort. “That was no offside. But they were better, you have to give respect. And I think we presented ourselves well.”
Makkabi, which was founded by Holocaust survivors in 1970, had already made history just by qualifying for the 64-team German Cup – by winning the Berlin Cup for the first time – to become the first Jewish club to take part.
Jews had been excluded when German sporting competitions were restructured by the Nazis in the 1930s.
“The game is a yearning, that there shouldn’t be anything historic about it,” Central Council of Jews in Germany leader Josef Schuster said before the game, according to AP.
“For 90 minutes (or more) it’s all about who wins in a fair, sporting competition – nothing more. These moments give a magic that I would wish for more often in our everyday society,” he added.