The Northeast German Football Association has forbidden the football club Tennis Borussia Berlin to advertise a fund that supports victims of right-wing violence. The reason in particular caused a stir.
Opinions sometimes diverge about what is political or taken for granted in civil society, i.e. more or less over-political. A conflict is currently taking place in the Northeast Regional Football League, which is precisely about this question. At the beginning of the season, Tennis Borussia Berlin did not have a shirt sponsor and wanted to use the free space to advertise Cura – Victim Fund for Right-Wing Violence, which belongs to the Amadeu Antonio Foundation. But nothing came of it because the Northeast German Football Association forbade this unceremoniously – since then there has been excitement.
In its justification for the ban, the NOFV referred to Paragraph 25, Item 8 of the Game Rules. The forbids “advertising for political groups and political statements,” wrote the association in an email to the club at the end of July. There the ban was received with anger. Especially since a further reason was given in the said communication. There is talk of concern that “a certain group of people might feel provoked by the jersey advertising”. Of course, one immediately wonders who these “particular groups” are. Right-wing killers and sympathizers?
The NOFV is under a lot of pressure
Tebe published the mail and since then the NOFV has been under a lot of pressure. In trying to do damage control, the association only made things worse. The NOFV followed up with another explanation, in which there was nothing more about provoked groups, but a complicated explanation why the advertising was supposedly politically unbalanced.
This is due to the “reference to exclusively right-wing violence, because there is also violence from the left and other forms of aggression and discrimination”. The association stands of course for “diversity and tolerance” and “resolutely oppose racist, constitutional and xenophobic efforts as well as other discriminatory or inhuman behavior”. But not with advertising like that.
Tebe published an open letter
TeBe ignited the next stage in the conflict last Wednesday. The association published an open letter on its homepage, which was signed by numerous supporters. In it, those responsible call for a rethink on the part of the association and suggest that the rules of the game be changed. It “could create a legal basis within the rules of the game that allows civil society to fight against discrimination and for an open society”.
But the association doesn’t want to hear about it. When asked how and whether one would react to it, managing director Holger Fuchs said on the phone to the sternthat “no statement from the association” has been received on the matter and has therefore not yet reacted. Fuchs relied on the official reason that this should be “respected”. The first reason that “people could feel provoked” will be talked about “deeply internally”. Otherwise there is no comment.
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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.
