Fatos Kücükyildiz, now in Neckarsulm, Germany, has represented a number of Swedish clubs and signed for Borussia Dortmund in the summer of 2021. On detours, she had heard that it could be a difficult time at the club because of coach André Fuhr, but did not think it was so dangerous.  

- But it got bad, she says.  

Kücükyildiz describes how Fuhr could interrupt training sessions to shout at individual players and "push people down to their shoes", about how he expressed himself racist.

Among other things, on one occasion, when Kücükyildiz was sitting and stretching, he is said to have said that "Mecca is not that way". 

- I've seen players cry in training because they were pissed off at their performance, but I've never seen so many tears because of psychological pressure.

As a player, you just have to take it.

You have a contract you must fulfill.

You could go home and cry and feel bad, but the next day you wake up and have to go and train again. 

She also points out that it was not the requirements that were the problem.

She believes that as a professional handball player you are used to coaches raising their voices.

That was the way he expressed himself. 

- It was almost as if he had hatred in him that was about to come out. 

Been going on for a decade


According to the German newspaper Der Spiegel, André Fuhr's methods have been going on for a decade.

The former player Anja Ernsberger, who was trained by Fuhr in Blomberg-Lippe for two seasons, testifies about how the same things that several players SVT Sport spoke to already happened ten years ago.

In the same article, players also say that they have, for example, been forced to train despite injuries or severe period pains.

One player, who wishes to remain anonymous, also says Fuhr once tried to force a kiss. 

SVT Sport has seen text messages from Fuhr to players where he writes, among other things, how sexy they are.

In addition, he has commented on which of the players he thinks has the best ass - to another player in the team. 

In September, Fuhr was forced to leave.

This after a German institution against violence in sports, a kind of whistleblower service, received information about the accusations against Fuhr. 

Kücükyildiz says that the club's handball section knew about what happened - because she herself was one of those who brought it up.

Spoke to the sporting director


– We explained it many, many times during the season.

But we got no response.

I spoke to the sporting director (Andreas Heiermann, resigned on October 27) and talked about what had been going on.

It was not received in the way it should have been received.

I got the answer that "we don't know if we can find a better coach".

I don't know how you could overlook that so many girls felt so bad.

SVT Sport was in contact with the handball section's sports manager Andreas Heiermann before he resigned on October 27.

Heiermann did not want to answer at the time, but referred to Borussia Dortmund's central communications department, which responded by email.  

The email to SVT Sport states, among other things, that the club did not become aware of the misconduct with André Fuhr until September 2 and that they have acted thereafter.

They also write that they do not want to comment on the events further because an internal investigation is underway.