According to Kicker, Mainz 05 striker Königsdörffer stated that his celebration against his former club Hamburger SV was a response to prolonged harassment and not directed at the club.

On Sunday, the 24-year-old Königsdörffer came on as a substitute when Mainz 05 was already leading 3-0. It was his first return to Volksparkstadion since leaving Hamburger SV. He previously played for Hamburger SV for four years, making 138 appearances and scoring 33 goals before joining Mainz 05 on a free transfer last summer. In his second Bundesliga match for Mainz 05, he scored against his former club—his first goal for Mainz 05 in Germany's top division—sealing a 5-0 victory.

Königsdörffer was jeered when he came on as a substitute, and his knee-slide celebration after scoring sparked discussion. In an interview with Allgemeine Zeitung Mainz, he said: "I thought about whether I really wanted to do it, and I also considered whether people were jeering at me in the stadium. But the main reason is that over the past year, every week, even every day, I've received messages from people wishing me dead or wishing I'd suffer various injuries, including racist comments and insults about my cousin and my deceased parents."

Regarding the celebration, Königsdörffer said: "It was also a response to that harassment. There may be other ways to handle it, but I don't think people who write such things would listen to anything else, so I chose to celebrate this way."

Königsdörffer emphasized that his action was not directed at Hamburger SV: "It wasn't against the North Stand, or against the club management, staff, or players, whom I really like. I've said many times that I was very comfortable at Hamburger SV. But I've been subjected to harassment for a full year, and I just wanted to express that I won't tolerate it."

The abusive messages come from social media. Königsdörffer said: "For a while now, the situation has been quite serious. I can generally deal with it, but I don't think it's normal, so I wanted to make clear that I won't tolerate it. Of course, I'm sorry that those who once supported me are disappointed by this." In the interview, he also shared screenshots of messages filled with hate content.

Königsdörffer is discussing the matter with a mental coach. He said that he can usually handle it, but was also driven by emotion during his goal celebration: "At the end of the day, you see these messages. I just wanted to hit back at the people writing these things, and I don't want them to think they can do whatever they want."

When asked whether the messages influenced his decision to leave, Königsdörffer said: "It may have played a role, but perhaps more unconsciously. This kind of thing can happen anywhere, not just at Hamburger SV; it happens at other clubs too. The decision to leave was mainly for sporting reasons, particularly regarding my personal development and the team's playing style."

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