Xenophobia in Sport
Football xenophobia is as common in Germany as it is in many other European countries. Two such cases were reported in 2014. On July 15, members of the German football team performed a Gaucho Dance to mock the Argentinian team. On August 10, anti-Semitic language sounded at a football match between Hannover FC and Lazio FC.
Quite surprisingly, German sport fields have become a platform for the promotion of tolerance in 2015. In August, Borussia Dortmund invited 220 refugees to watch their Europa League qualifier second leg against Odds BK as part of the city's "Angekommen in Dortmund" (Arriving in Dortmund) campaign. In September, Bayern Munich released a statement saying they would be providing over a million euros for refugee projects, as well as offer training camps, German classes and food. During the home game against Leverkusen the banner was displayed at Bayern's ground, showing the message: "Stirring up hatred against broke Greeks and refugees. The problem is called racism. [Get] racism out of minds."
In 2017 the activity of the ultra-rights among German football fans was noted. In January, the police set up a special investigative group to suppress the activities of the neo-Nazi group (up to 100 people) in the ranks of fans of the "Energy" team (Cottbus). Most of them were already in the field of view of law enforcement officers in connection with other offenses. The grouping is associated with right-wing extremist rock groups and kickboxing clubs.[3]
In February, the judge decided to interrupt the match of the teams of the fifth league in Lippstadt, because a group of fans shouted "Jews! Jews! " and chanted the traditional slogan of German neo-Nazis" Free, Social and National! "[4]
In September, in Prague, during the match between Germany and the Czech Republic, crowds of "Zig Heil!" were heard from the stands. Right-wing radical German fans were repeatedly seen during the demonstration of Hitler's greetings. [[6]
In October, a group of right-wing radical fans from the city of Hamm organized a brawl. The video showed Hitler's greeting. In Hamm, a group of fans against neo-Nazis was founded. Robert Claus, an expert on the study of the football subculture, concludes that the right-wing radicals exert pressure and influence on other fans. He stressed that the events in Prague are not a fundamentally new phenomenon. The ultra-rights regularly attend football matches and use in their rhetoric images and metaphors related to Nazism and World War II. [7]
