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Sports philosopher: Using football against the right has great value
Philosopher and sports sociologist Gunter Gebauer: “Football action against the right has great value.” photo
© Rolf Vennenbernd/dpa
Sports philosopher Gunter Gebauer considers the commitment of clubs in professional football to democracy and against the right to be very important. It would also impress right-wing fans in the stadiums.
The sports philosopher Gunter Gebauer believes that the commitment of German professional football clubs to cohesion and democracy in society and against right-wing extremism is very important.
“It has considerable value because right-wing radical circles are also attracted to Bundesliga football,” said the 70-year-old native of Kiel. “And if they are confronted with a contrary opinion that is presented firmly and convincingly, it will also impress them.” That wouldn’t mean they’d change their minds, “but it will certainly take away a certain level of security for them.”
Bundesliga clubs such as Werder Bremen, VfL Bochum, FSV Mainz 05 and 1. FC Köln are currently committed to democratic values and against right-wing extremism. Some have called on their fans to support demonstrations. Second division teams such as Hannover 96 or FC St. Pauli as well as the third division team Preußen Münster have already made similar statements.
Increasing threat to democracy
“There have been some clubs for a long time that have actively promoted this. This mostly comes from the circle of left-wing fans,” said Gebauer. These have partly persuaded the club boards and teams to commit to it: “So it’s not entirely new. What’s new is that the clubs and teams are willing to participate in a broader and stronger way.”
Gebauer sees the increasing threat to democracy as the cause of this broader involvement in football. “It certainly is,” he emphasized. It is also due to the fact that many foreign professionals are involved in Bundesliga clubs. “They are closing the circle around their foreign players. I think there is also concern for them,” said Gebauer.
The starting point of the current discussions about democracy and right-wing extremism is a meeting between right-wing radicals and politicians from the AfD and CDU in a Potsdam villa on November 25th, which was published by the media company Correctiv last week. The former head of the right-wing extremist Identitarian movement in Austria, Martin Sellner, said he spoke about “remigration” there. When right-wing extremists use the term, they usually mean that large numbers of people of foreign origin should leave the country – even under duress.