Sunday June 20th 2021
The rainbow remains
UEFA waives penalty for DFB captain’s armband
Manuel Neuer is also allowed to wear the rainbow captain’s armband in the game against Hungary. UEFA has closed the investigation against the DFB. An RTL / ntv.de research had made the investigation public in the afternoon.
The German Football Association (DFB) is not punished for the rainbow captain’s armband from national team goalkeeper Manuel Neuer. According to the DFB announcement, the European Football Union (UEFA) has stopped its review. In a UEFA letter to the association, “the rainbow band will be rated as a symbol of the team for diversity and thus a ‘good cause'”, the DFB announced via Twitter. The association had previously confirmed the review. Usually, the European Championship captains are obliged to wear the UEFA model.
The investigations had become public through an RTL / ntv.de research. They caused a great stir nationally and internationally. “Come on, UEFA – you can’t be serious?”, Wrote VFB Stuttgart sports director Thomas Hitzlsperger. The former international had declared in 2014 after his playing career to be gay. He took this step as the first prominent German professional footballer.
“That is unacceptable,” Christian Rudolph, the national board of the Lesbian and Gay Association (LSVD), told ntv.de about the UEFA investigation: “It is a fatal sign. We are currently in” Pride Month “and at For the most important sporting event of the month, you want to stop wearing a rainbow captain’s armband? UEFA also needs to think about who it represents. How should the athletes think about that? “
The rainbow remains an issue
DFB press spokesman Jens Grittner had already signaled before the continental association gave in not to be deterred. “In sport, too, June is marked by ‘Pride’, in order to campaign for more diversity. The DFB is also participating in various campaigns this year,” he said. “Manuel Neuer has been wearing the rainbow armband since the friendly against Latvia on June 7th. As a symbol and clear commitment by the entire team to diversity, openness, tolerance and against hatred and exclusion. The message is: we are colorful!”
The rainbow will become a political issue in the coming days anyway. The city of Munich wants to decide on Monday to open the Allianz Arena for the third German group game against Hungary on Wednesday (9 p.m. / ZDF and MagentaTV and in the live ticker on ntv.de) to shine in rainbow colors – as a “visible sign of solidarity with the LGBT community in Hungary”.
Last Tuesday, the Hungarian parliament approved a law that restricts young people’s right to information about homosexuality and transsexuality. UEFA started a campaign against discrimination in football before the European Championship, but is considered to be closely linked to the Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban.
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