Title: The DFB's Tacit Response to Racism and Controversy
The controversial right-wing Nius portal and the German U17 footballers are facing racist attacks. The German Football Association, the DFB, remains silent.
In the eyes of several media outlets, Nius, a right-wing news portal, is a "right-wing populist propaganda channel," a "pseudo news sling," and even a "Fox News clone." Known for its extreme tone and mainly attracting right-wing fans, it's no surprise that Rudi Völler's appearance on the channel caused a stir. Accused of legitimizing and promoting the platform, the DFB's silence is deafening despite their publicized values of diversity, respect, and community.
German football's golden boy, Völler, sat down for an interview on Nius just days after a controversial 3-2 loss against Turkey. Despite the media outrage, the DFB remained unmoved, failing to publicly condemn the platform or address the disturbing alliance. However, the tight-lipped attitude of the association was not new.
In stark contrast, the DFB's Junior team had its own experience with hate speech and prejudice. The young squad was making history on the international stage, reaching the World Cup semi-finals, yet their success was overshadowed by an unprecedented wave of racist comments targeting the players on the DFB Junior's official Facebook account. Almugera Kabar, Charles Herrmann, Paris Brunner, and Fayssal Harchaoui found themselves defenders of their own dignity, facing racial slurs and derogatory remarks.
In the face of these abusive comments, the DFB took action by blocking and deleting offensive messages. Their response, however, was far from adequate. Instead of addressing the issue publicly, the DFB published a statement merely expressing pride in the team's diversity and reiterating their staunch commitment to tolerance and respect. The disappointing response from the DFB, coupled with their tolerance of Völler's appearance on Nius, sends a disheartening message that contradicts their progressive stance on anti-discrimination measures.
The DFB's reluctance to take a clear position on critical issues is alarming, especially given the historical context. The association failed to address serious years of cooperation with extremist positions and ideologies much earlier in their history, flaunting an indifference towards fight against right-wing ideologies[1]. Despite committing themselves to confronting racism in football, their actions show a lack of courage to stand up against the discriminatory ideology that has no place in the sport.
Bernd Neuendorf, the President of the DFB, seemingly justified reluctance to address human rights issues when discussing the World Cup 2034 award to Saudi Arabia, stating that it is essential to consider the bid's concrete terms[1]. The DFB's stance on Saudi Arabia's human rights issues contradicts their commitment to promoting diversity, inclusivity, and fighting racism in football.
In a world where right-wing populists and enemies of democracy seek to undermine the achievements of liberal societies, an organization as influential as the DFB has an obligation to take a firm stance against discrimination and promote a safe and welcoming environment for everyone involved in football. Despite the association's efforts to combat racism, their tacit response to the recent incidents puts a question mark over their commitment to upholding the values that they preach.
The DFB failed to publicly condemn Rudi Völler's appearance on the controversial right-wing news portal Nius, leaving fans and journalists questioning the association's stance on extremist views. Additionally, the DFB's response to the racist attacks on their Junior team was insufficient, failing to take a public stance or issue a press release.
The DFB's lack of response to these incidents undermines their commitment to combating racism in football and promotes a chilling environment that allows for extreme ideologies to thrive without consequence.
Attributions:
[1] Moritz Hoffmann, "Schicht im Schacht." In the public domain.
Sources:
