The Mainz team - which plays in the Bundesliga - has taken an unprecedented step, publishing part of the resignation sent to the club by one of its former members, who complained about the presence of many black-skinned players in it.
"Racism begins when racist ideas are talked about, not just when someone identifies themselves as racist, and this is what happens in rare cases," Mainz wrote on his website.
The club stated that it was normal for him to strive to preserve all its members, but "he cannot express his regret" over the departure of the member, whose identity has not been revealed.
Mainz quotes words from the resignation letter of the former member who claimed that he is not at all racist, saying, "For months, I have been unable to identify the club! At the same time, I have the impression that I am in the African Nations Cup instead of the German League."
"But when there are nine black-skinned players in the starting line-up over a period of weeks, and German talents hardly find an opportunity, then this is not the club that I loved for years."
Mainz stated that skin color or similar features do not have a role in forming a team, but "what matters to us is that someone has the same values that we have."
"Such people are very welcome in our society, which is why we are happier than usual with your resignation, because your reasons show that you do not carry the values that our club represents," the club added.
Mainz also noted that club laws give hope to exercise for children, youth, adults and people with disabilities, regardless of their origin or affiliation. He published a picture showing the players Musa Niyakhat and Conde Malong kneeling on their knees on the field after the recent victory over Eintracht Frankfurt in the Bundesliga, as part of the protests that started in the United States over the killing of George Floyd and invaded different regions of the world.