Hardly any player from the national team has commented on the Uefa’s decision to ban the rainbow lighting of the Munich stadium: from colorful T-shirts, “lived values” and subtle podcast messages.
Uefa has officially banned the city of Munich from illuminating the Allianz Arena in rainbow colors during the third and final preliminary round match between the national team and Hungary (Wednesday, 9 p.m. live on ZDF). Given the violent reactions from the fans, the players themselves seemed almost meek.
Hummels lets his outfit speak for itself
Defense chief Mats Hummels, who is actually known for his clear edge, chose his words extremely cautiously: “There are reasons on the part of the Uefa why this was not allowed. But I think it’s good that this is a general topic Topics are discussed publicly, it is a success, “he said at a press conference on Wednesday.
In any case, Hummels’ outfit was much more meaningful: The 32-year-old wore a colorful T-shirt with the words “Love unites” from the Adidas brand. When asked by a journalist whether his outfit was a message, the BVB defender replied: “When I arrived I was wearing a sweater with the message on. I’m sure that even small signs and gestures are always a step into the right one Direction are. ”
However, Hummels caused brief irritation when he said that the recent outing of the first professional footballer in the NFL had “long been superfluous”. As a precaution, the DFB press spokesman corrected the slip of the tongue – he obviously meant “overdue” – several times.
Kroos brothers show solidarity without words
“Of course, I would have been personally happy if the stadium had lit up in these colors,” said national coach Joachim Löw. For him, on the other hand, it is important that “the lights don’t go out” in his team. As significant as these symbols are – for Löw it is crucial that these “values are also lived”.
Midfield engineer Toni Kroos also showed solidarity with the action – albeit without words. For the podcast “Einfach mal Luppen”, which the professional runs for Real Madrid together with his brother Felix, the brothers switched their logo to rainbow colors.
Orbán cancels trip to the European Championship game in Munich
The Uefa had rejected the application of Munich’s Lord Mayor Dieter Reiter (SPD). It was “a politically and religiously neutral organization based on its statutes. Given the political context of this particular request – a message aimed at a decision by the Hungarian parliament – UEFA must reject this request,” she said.
Hungary’s Prime Minister Viktor Orbán has appealed to German politicians to accept the ban. “Whether the Munich soccer stadium or any other European stadium shines in rainbow colors is not a state decision,” Orban told the German press agency on Wednesday. Shortly before, it became known that the head of government had canceled his planned trip to Munich for the preliminary round match.
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.
