Strong signal from the Bundesliga: After it became known that Uefa will probably not allow rainbow lighting of the Munich EM arena during the DFB-Elf game against Hungary, two Bundesliga clubs have so far announced that they will visit their home stadiums on Wednesday evening in protest against exclusion and homophobia to shine brightly. It all started with Axel Hellmann, boss at Eintracht Frankfurt. “If Munich is not allowed to be on Wednesday, the other stadiums in the country have to show their colors,” wrote Hellmann on Twitter and urged his colleagues to show solidarity: “To colleagues in the league now!”
The call has already been followed in Cologne. As the WDR reports, the Rhein-Energie-Stadion there will also wear the rainbow on Wednesday evening. A spokesman for the Cologne sports facilities confirmed that, the broadcaster reported. The rainbow lighting will therefore be visible between 9 p.m. and midnight. Various groups from Cologne’s urban society had started the initiative, and the sports venues found them open, it said.
The solidarity campaign ignited after it became known that Uefa will probably not accept an application from Munich’s Lord Mayor Dieter Reiter (SPD). Reiter (SPD) had written to the Uefa and the German Football Association for an exemption to send “a widely visible signal for our common understanding of values”. He called on the Uefa to “(…) stand up (…) emphatically and visibly for tolerance and equality,” it said. Bavaria’s Prime Minister Markus Söder (CSU) also endorsed the action.
Rainbow colors: DFB bow to Uefa vote
But DFB, organizing committee and According to a report in the “Bild-Zeitung” on Monday evening, Uefa ultimately could not bring themselves to do so. “The Uefa specifies a uniform stadium design. And there are good reasons to live this uniform stadium design. Maybe you don’t necessarily have to fix the lighting on Wednesday matchday,” said DFB press spokesman Jens Grittner.
According to the “Bild-Zeitung”, the Munich arena will now shine in the rainbow colors on June 28th, Christopher Street Day. On this day, however, there will be no EM game in the Bavarian metropolis.
The background to the planned protest is a law in Hungary that restricts the information rights of young people with regard to homosexuality and transsexuality and which was only approved by the Hungarian parliament on Tuesday. The law is a particular concern of Prime Minister Viktor Orbán. The demand for a clear signal at the European Football Championship in Germany during the game against the Magyars had become correspondingly loud.
It is still unclear whether other Bundesliga clubs will join the light signal from Frankfurt and Cologne. Chances are, the game won’t rise until Wednesday. So there is enough time for other club bosses to flip the light switch
I have been working in the news industry for over 6 years, first as a reporter and now as an editor. I have covered politics extensively, and my work has appeared in major newspapers and online news outlets around the world. In addition to my writing, I also contribute regularly to 24 Hours World.
