Jens Lehmann is SACKED from Hertha Berlin’s board after calling Dennis Aogo ‘a token black guy’

Jens Lehmann is SACKED from Hertha Berlin’s board after Arsenal Invincible suggested ex-Germany star Dennis Aogo is Sky TV punditry’s ‘token black guy’ in WhatsApp message

  • Jens Lehmann has become embroiled in a racism storm in Germany this morning
  • Arsenal Invincibles goalkeeper sent Sky Sport pundit Dennis Aogo a message asking if he was the company’s ‘token black guy’ on Tuesday evening
  • Aogo posted screenshot and said the message ‘probably wasn’t meant for him’
  • Lehmann has since been sacked from Hertha Berlin’s board as fans urge companies to cut ties with footballer-turned-pundit in wake of racism storm 

Jens Lehmann is embroiled in a racism storm in Germany after appearing to accidentally text Sky Sport pundit Dennis Aogo asking if he was the company’s ‘token black guy’.

Germany and Arsenal legend Lehmann, who himself is now a television pundit, has been sacked from his role on Hertha Berlin’s board after Aogo posted a screenshot of the text to Instagram.

In what appears to be a message mistakenly sent to Aogo, Lehmann – translated literally – says: ‘Is Dennis actually your “black” one?’, following it with a laughing emoji.

Dennis Aogo posted a screenshot of a message Jens Lehmann sent to him on WhatsApp

Footballer-turned-TV pundit Lehmann has since been sacked from Hertha Berlin's board

Footballer-turned-TV pundit Lehmann has since been sacked from Hertha Berlin’s board

Lehmann has since taken to Twitter to apologise for the message he sent to Aogo on WhatsApp

Lehmann has since taken to Twitter to apologise for the message he sent to Aogo on WhatsApp

Aogo posted a screenshot to his Instagram story shortly after, alongside the caption: ‘WOW… The message was probably not meant for me!!!’

Lehmann sent his WhatsApp shortly after Aogo had come off air, having provided punditry for Manchester City’s Champions League win over PSG for German TV network Sky Sport.

He is now set to face plenty of backlash as fans urge various companies to cut ties with the 51-year-old, and Hertha Berlin have become the first to distance themselves from the ex-goalkeeper.

Aogo, pictured playing for Stuttgart in 2019, has 12 caps for the Germany national team

Aogo, pictured playing for Stuttgart in 2019, has 12 caps for the Germany national team

Aogo, pictured playing for Hannover, now works as a Sky Sport pundit in Germany

Aogo, with his wife Ina in December at a gala in Berlin, Germany

Aogo (pictured left for Hannover and right with his wife Ina in December) now works as a television pundit for Sky Sport in Germany

‘The consultant contract with Mr. Lehmann will be terminated. This eliminates the posting to Hertha’s supervisory board, ‘ said spokesman Andreas Fritzenkötter from Tennor Holding to Sky, while a statement added: ‘Hertha BSC distances itself from racism.’

Lehmann has since come out to issue both a public and private apology to Aogo, posting to his Twitter account: ‘In a private message from my cell phone to Dennis Aogo, an impression was created for which I apologized in conversation with Dennis. 

‘As a former national player he is very knowledgeable and has a great presence and brings odds at Sky.’

Lehmann is part of Arsenal’s Invincibles side of 2003-04, who went unbeaten for an entire Premier League campaign under the stewardship of Arsene Wenger.

Lehmann is part of Arsenal's Invincibles side, who won the title under Arsene Wenger in 03-04

Lehmann is part of Arsenal’s Invincibles side, who won the title under Arsene Wenger in 03-04

Lehmann played for Arsenal between 2003 and 2008 before returning for another year in 2011

Lehmann played for Arsenal between 2003 and 2008 before returning for another year in 2011

The goalkeeper played for the Gunners for five years between 2003 and 2008, before returning for a second spell in 2011 before he hung up his boots.

He has 61 Germany caps and has since tried his hand at coaching, acting and punditry in his post-playing career.

Aogo, meanwhile, is one of German TV’s newest pundits having only retired from playing in August last year.

He finished his career with Hannover in the second tier, and has since taken up a punditry role with Sky Sport.

On Tuesday night, for the Man City-PSG game, he was in the studio alongside presenter Michael Leopold and Liverpool legend Didi Hamann. 



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