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MIXED REACTIONS: This image, posed on Deinster SV's Facebook page, hasn't gone down well with everyone

A GERMAN football team had their faces and bodies painted brown in a show of solidarity for racially abused teammates.

Deinster SV, a lower-league club from the Lower Saxony region in Germany, posted the digitally manipulated image on its Facebook page alongside a message detailing what happened to their teammates, both Sudanese refugees.

"Violence against refugees is pathetic," the post reads. "Emad and Amar, you are one of us just like everyone else and we're happy you are with us."

The photo has received 18,000 likes and sparked mixed reactions from the online community.

Their coach, Soenke Kreibich, told local media outler Jetzt how the two Sudanese players had been subjected to verbal and physical abuse during an Easter fete in the town, and that Emad was pushed to the ground and beaten in a racially-motivated attack.

He explained that the team decided to make the image as a show of solidarity with the two players.

"We wanted to make a stand, amongst ourselves but also to the public," he said.

"It should make it clear that Emad and Amar are an inherent part of our team, and not a minority on whom you can use violence to let off your personal frustration."

While most of social media users have applauded the club's seemingly selfless act, for others who are aware of the negative history of blackface, the gesture fell flat.

“They meant well. They did. But epic fail,” wrote @Sianaarrgh.

@kurorori expressed that the act itself was a contradiction of its intentions: "Blackfacing as a form of protest against racism in football. Hmm. I don't know."

For some users there was justification. @TawandaFarai wrote: “When people get that Blackface is awfully racist?”