The 23-year-old invoked a “mysterious TikTok box” to explain the situation, causing astonishment from Rudi Völler and Julian Nagelsmann, while the German Football Association (DFB) worked to clarify the situation. The controversy erupted just hours before Germany’s crucial qualifying match.
Adeyemi fined €450,000 for possession of illegal weapons
According to Bild, Dortmund star winger Karim Adeyemi was fined an astronomical €450,000 after prosecutors confirmed he was in illegal possession of a brass knuckle and a stun gun, weapons prohibited by German law. According to the public prosecutor’s office, a sentence of “60 daily fines of €7,500 each” became enforceable on October 30, with the case being handled by the Wetter District Court.
The affair broke shortly before the crucial World Cup qualifying match between Germany and Slovakia, taking the DFB and Borussia Dortmund by surprise. According to BILD, Adeyemi did not initially inform the federation, which therefore learned of his conviction through the media. According to his lawyer, the objects came from a “ mysterious box ordered on TikTok »a claim Adeyemi reportedly tried to explain during internal discussions.
Although included in the squad, Adeyemi did not play in Germany’s 6-0 victory over Slovakia, a match marked by controversy. The BVB star, author of six assists this season in all competitions, suddenly found himself at the heart of an extra-sporting scandal during a decisive international period.
Reaction of Völler and Nagelsmann to the sentence which surprised the DFB
DFB sporting director Rudi Völler admitted that the federation was completely unaware of the matter before being contacted by Borussia Dortmund sporting director Lars Ricken. Völler told ZDF: “ Yes, of course we didn’t know about it. The day after the match in Luxembourg, Lars Ricken called me to tell me. He wasn’t aware of everything either. Julian and I then took Karim aside. We wanted to hear his side of the story. He then tried to explain it to us, more or less. »
While refusing to give further details, Völler stressed that the national team must find a balance between responsibility and perspective. He added: “We still feel that the young man is progressing exceptionally well in the national team. We also live in Germany in an era where the culture of indignation is very present… Everyone is always quick to complain, and I don’t want to minimize that. It’s naive, even stupid, whatever you call it. »
Coach Nagelsmann echoed the sentiment, while emphasizing how disruptive the situation was given the timing. At the pre-match press conference he said: “ Rudi and I talked with him. This matter is wasting my time and energy before such an important match. We will come back to this after the meeting… I will not make any further comments. »
