Advertisement
Daniel Hambury/EMPICS Sport

German FA sets up group to help gay players

German Chancellor Angela Merkel told gay footballers they should have no fear of revealing their homosexuality

THE GERMAN FOOTBALL Association (DFB) has set up a working group to provide information to help prepare clubs to deal with the potential outing of a gay professional footballer.

“We will prepare an internal guide with the assistance of outside experts,” said sports sociologist Gunter Pilz, who is leading the group.

“The idea is to help clubs and associations be prepared for a possible outing so they can help provide the best possible assistance.”

Pilz stressed he did not know of any footballers who wanted to come out: “Whether a professional football player decides to come out, remains the personal decision of each individual”.

The working group will include Marcus Urban, who retired from football in the 1990s and is the only German footballer to have come out, as well as representatives from the German Football League (DFL).

“We want to give the sports world the chance to show it’s not as intolerant as it is sometimes presented,” Urban told news.de While no current Bundesliga footballer has revealed his homosexuality, senior figures here have actively encouraged them to do so.

In September last year, German Chancellor Angela Merkel told gay footballers they should have no fear of revealing their homosexuality at a forum in Berlin to discuss integration in sport.

Bayern Munich president Uli Hoeness has said it was only a matter of time before a Bundesliga player comes out, while back in 2009, ex-DFB president Theo Zwanziger pledged full support for any footballer who did so. But current members of the national squad are divided on the topic.

In 2011, Germany striker Mario Gomez said openly gay footballers “would play as if they had been liberated. Being gay should no longer be a taboo topic.”

But national team captain Philipp Lahm advised against it: “An openly gay footballer would be exposed to abusive elements,” he told German magazine Bunte. “For someone who does (come out), it would be very difficult.”

- © AFP, 2013

O’Brien on the double as Ireland U21s beat Netherlands

VIDEO: Goran Popov apologises for spitting at Tottenham’s Kyle Walker

Author
View 5 comments
Close
5 Comments
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Ian Campbell
    Favourite Ian Campbell
    Report
    Feb 7th 2013, 8:18 AM

    Who cares if a player is gay. If it was a player on my team or in the club i support I wouldn’t care as long as he banging the ball into the net and winning games.

    107
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute ThomasFrancisMeagher
    Favourite ThomasFrancisMeagher
    Report
    Feb 7th 2013, 8:44 AM

    They might pick up a few good players from less tolerant eastern European or Musilm & African countries. It’d serve those countries right.

    41
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute colm connolly
    Favourite colm connolly
    Report
    Feb 7th 2013, 10:55 AM

    How would it make a difference the players would have to be good enough to play in Germany for a start I see what your trying to say but your point is flawed

    5
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute david o callaghan
    Favourite david o callaghan
    Report
    Feb 7th 2013, 9:42 PM

    Dddfff

    2
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute david o callaghan
    Favourite david o callaghan
    Report
    Feb 7th 2013, 9:44 PM

    Ddfggh

    2
Submit a report
Please help us understand how this comment violates our community guidelines.
Thank you for the feedback
Your feedback has been sent to our team for review.