Tony Yeboah's anti-racism message amplified by mural in Frankfurt and still relevant in the city where he is a legend

Tony Yeboah’s anti-racism message still resonates in Frankfurt thanks to a five-storey mural commemorating it. Adam Bate gets the thoughts of the artist responsible and Eintracht Frankfurt’s president to find out why its impact and legacy is ongoing…

Comment and Analysis @ghostgoal

Wednesday 15 November 2023 10:40, UK

Just off the railway line that links the centre of Frankfurt to its airport, the busiest in Germany, there is a mural that greets thousands of travellers each day. It is the oversized face of former Eintracht Frankfurt player Tony Yeboah. And he has a message.

«We are ashamed for everybody who screams against us.» Those are the words written in German in huge red letters on the side of the five-storey building that has become known as 'The Tony Yeboah House'. It is a quote from an open letter written over 30 years ago.

Together with Wattenscheid striker Souleymane Sane, father of Germany international Leroy Sane, and Anthony Baffoe of Fortuna Dusseldorf, these three Black men took a stand. They called out the racism that they were facing inside the stadiums and on the streets.

That statement brought the matter to public attention and came to resonate strongly thanks to Yeboah's status. Among British audiences, he is best known for several spectacular Premier League goals for Leeds United, where he remains a cult hero to their fans.

At Eintracht Frankfurt, he is so much more.

Yeboah was the first Black captain in the Bundesliga, thriving in the face of overt racism. He was the league's top scorer twice, winning hearts and minds because of his brilliance. As Eintracht Frankfurt president Peter Fischer explains, his role cannot be overstated.

«Tony Yeboah is an absolute legend in Frankfurt,» Fischer tells Sk