Scandal before European Championship match against Türkiye
Austrians sing: “Germany for the Germans, foreigners out”
02.07.2024, 23:01
Shortly before the European Championship round of 16 match between Austria and Turkey, there was a scandal. Fans chanted racist slogans. The actually very peaceful song “L’amour toujours” is usually one of the songs played around the Austrian national team.
Austrian football fans caused a scandal before the European Championship round of 16 match against Turkey in Leipzig. During a broadcast by Swiss television SRF before the match, supporters of the ÖFB selection in the city could be seen singing the slogan “Germany for the Germans, foreigners out” to the tune of the song “L’amour toujours”. In response to a query from dpa in the evening, the Leipzig police said they had raised initial suspicions and were investigating the matter.
The racist slogan became known nationwide through a video from the island of Sylt. In it, numerous young people at a party were chanting “Foreigners out” and “Germany for the Germans” to the song by Gigi D’Agostino. This sparked a huge wave of outrage in the country and numerous discussions about how widespread racism is in society. Numerous other incidents have since been reported. The song is therefore not to be played at some folk festivals and is also not permitted at the European Football Championships.
The actually very peaceful song “L’amour toujours” is usually one of the songs that is played around the Austrian national team. The association had also submitted a request that the song be played in the stadiums in Germany after victorious European Championship games – but after the incidents with the racist slogans, the ÖFB and the European Football Union distanced themselves from this. The Italian DJ D’Agostino had made it clear that his song was exclusively about love.
There was also a stir after the game: Turkish national player Merih Demiral caused a stir with his celebration gesture at the 2:1. After his second goal, the 26-year-old made the so-called wolf salute with both hands, a hand sign and symbol of the “Grey Wolves”. The “Grey Wolves” are the name given to the supporters of the right-wing extremist “Ülkücü movement”, which is monitored in Germany by the Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution. In Turkey, the ultra-nationalist MHP is their political representative and an ally of the Islamic-conservative AKP of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.