The relationship between fans and the DFB has always been difficult and has often been the subject of my column. How often have you heard from the Otto-Fleck-Schneise how proud you are of the fan culture in Germany? And nobody will deny how unique it is in our stadiums: atmosphere, choreographies and full curves. Nobody seriously wants to miss that. But when fans speak uncomfortable truths, the fun stops at the association. The DFB regularly looks bad in cases of conflict, as the officials apparently do not know how to find a solution without losing face. The association once again provided a good example of this in the last game in the Nations League on Tuesday.
In the first half of the game, a banner could be seen on the back straight – and thus clearly visible to all television viewers: »15,000 dead for big scenes – FIFA and Co. without a conscience! Boycott Qatar” (see photo caption in jW from 16.6.). Anyone who does not close their eyes to the reality of the football world must support this statement. One can only thank the fans who prepared and implemented this campaign. The participants then left the stadium immediately. But what did the DFB do? He sent Blue Team to determine the identities of the fans. The fan wonders why. The police later confirmed what should have been clear to everyone: What was to be read here is covered by Article Five of our Basic Law, the right to freedom of expression. And anyway the truth. But why then does the DFB send the officials off? First it was said because of a possible trespassing. Then the police claimed: to enforce private rights. You don’t have to figure out what those are supposed to be.
The DFB could have shown greatness, let the campaign run and then, if necessary, sent a statement about the message of the poster. Now that the outcry is great, they say they don’t want to know the names of the fans or take any further steps. We hear the message well, but we lack faith. Let’s wait and see whether the fans involved will also be able to get tickets for the next home game without any problems. The Mönchengladbach police have also announced that they will not take any further action. We believe that only until the affected fans are in the “Violent Sport” file. That’s where you usually end up for such unproblematic behavior. Let’s wait for it as well as the announced actions of the DFB and its players regarding Qatar.
»Sport free!« from the fan advocate.
