The dressing room is the sanctuary of every football team. In addition to players, coaches and staff, only selected clientele have access here; what is discussed within these four walls usually does not reach the outside world. Due to the TV contract and its contents, the dressing room was desecrated to a certain extent; reporters and cameras are also allowed to walk through the catacombs of the stadiums. This is what happened before the derby on Friday evening at Millerntor, which is now a topic of discussion because of four recognizable capital letters.
Pay-per-channel Sky had reported from the St. Pauli locker room before the game against HSV, which in itself was not very spectacular. However, some viewers had discovered something in the background that raised questions: “ACAB” could be read right next to a picture of Eric Smith. As is well known, this is the common abbreviation for the English saying “All cops are bastards”.
“ACAB” slogan visible in the Kiezklub cabin
The slogan is a frequently used one, especially in the active fan scene, but you probably won’t find it very often in dressing rooms. Above all, there are many people who perceive the slogan as a general verbal attack on the police. MOPO asked St. Pauli what “ACAB” in the Millerntor locker room was all about.
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“FC St. Pauli is working constructively and professionally with the responsible police. The police themselves reiterated this after the derby,” explained club spokesman Patrick Gensing. “The dressing room and many other rooms in the stadium are designed by fans. This concept has been known for years and nothing should be changed.” The concept for designing the cabin even won an award.
St. Pauli points to further meaning of “ACAB”
Regardless of this, the abbreviation ACAB is used in the context of FC St. Pauli with the meaning “All colors are beautiful” – “and even if the lettering is interpreted to refer to the police, it is covered by freedom of expression according to the Federal Constitutional Court”. In fact, there is a decision on the subject from the Federal Constitutional Court dated June 24, 2016, which states, among other things: “The slogan ACAB is not obviously contentless from the outset, but rather expresses a general rejection of the police and a need for differentiation from the state’s regulatory power. It is an expression of opinion within the meaning of Article 5, Paragraph 1, Sentence 1 of the Basic Law.”
