SLeon Goretzka addressed the Hungarian fans a first gesture after he scored Germany 2-2 shortly before the end of the round of 16. He forms a heart with both of his hands. He holds it against the so-called “black block” of Hungarians. After the game, Goretzka does not explain what he was trying to say. He is not asked about it on television either. The audience has to figure it out for themselves, in Germany and Hungary.
Perhaps the gesture means that love is the strongest force, stronger than hate. But maybe also: We have love. And you just hate. Maybe the gesture was meant to be conciliatory, maybe not. The day after, Goretzka dissolved his sign language on social networks: “Spread love.” Spread love! A call and a hopefully wonderful super spreader that not only German football needs more than ever after a gloomy evening that should not go away for a long time.
After the final whistle, German politicians also spoke up. However, it did not carry a message of love with it. The former German Justice Minister Katarina Barley, the current Vice-President of the European Parliament, tweeted instead: “I’m sorry for the many wonderful Hungarians. Your team did really well. But just because of the fascist bloc in the stadium and the cowardly dictator, I’m happy about the result. “
Nationwide rainbow protests
Viktor Orbán, who was meant, had canceled his visit to the stadium on match day after the political debate about the law, which was strongly condemned by the European Union and which in Hungary, among other things, prohibits education in schools about homosexuality and transsexuality, had been moved to the Munich football stadium. As a protest, the city council wanted to illuminate the stadium in the rainbow colors, but the European Football Union prohibited this. The stadium must remain politically neutral. In Germany, protests arose nationwide under the sign of the rainbow, diversity and tolerance.
It looked like this: While the Hungarian national anthem was playing, a young man in a German jersey ran onto the field and held a rainbow flag in front of the Hungarian team’s nose. Security forces overwhelmed him. When the man in the curve, where there was a border between fans from both countries that evening, was led out of the interior of the stadium, applause broke out. The Hungarian guests congratulated the security forces. With the Germans who sat next to it, you didn’t know exactly what their applause was aimed at – the storming of the pitch in political protest. Or as protection of the playing field in front of it. In any case, the tensions that lay over this game were palpable.
When the German anthem rolled off the tape shortly afterwards, the Hungarian supporters demonstratively turned their backs on the field. And with it the Germans and their anthem. When both teams had warmed up for the game shortly before, it was already heard from the fan block: “Germany, Germany homosexual.” The politicization of football has its price.
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