To mark this year’s International Holocaust Remembrance Day, DFB president Reinhard Grindel paid tribute to the victims of the national socialist genocide in a speech at the German football museum in Dortmund. This is what he had to say.
Every year in December - if the circumstances allow it - our Under-18 squad takes part in a tournament held in Israel. Together with teams from Serbia, Hungary or Japan, football is played, but the most important part of the trip takes place away from the pitch. Every player speaks with Shoah survivors or their relatives, and most importantly, visits the Holocaust memorial, Yad Vashem.
Our players and their contemporaries from other countries are not only confronted with the inhumane acts of the Nazis, but also an important message from the Yad Vashem members of staff. The people of Yad Vashem know how impactful it is to share how the hopes and dreams of so many young people, just like those young football players stood before them, were destroyed in an instance. And I know just how much the experience moves the players, irrespective of if they are Christian or Muslim.
Lots of them then sit down and appreciate how lucky they are to have the chance to live out their lifelong dreams - to become a professional football player. And how lucky they are to live in a country where freedom and democracy reigns. Over 200 youth players have taken part in this tournament over the years. It gives them the opportunity to realise that they should not take the life they lead for granted. And I’ll say it once more; it’s a sentiment that is shared between our Christian and Muslim teammates, together.
Football has this immense power to bring people together. It brings together the young and old, the poor and the rich, both men and women, and people who have and have not migrated to this country. It is the obligation of everyone who is involved in football to spread this message of inclusivity. It doesn’t matter who plays who. Football is a pleasure for all to enjoy when everyone respects the rules - both on the pitch and off it.
But we also need to set our priorities straight. We get so caught up with the Video Assistant nowadays. I think we have to concentrate on what really matters, that being the values of football: respect and tolerance, fair play and team spirit. That is essential!
It sounds self explanatory, but in reality it isn’t. Players and fans of the Maccabi clubs have reported how they are abused at the lower levels of football. There is more racism than we realise behind closed doors. Zero tolerance is not always shown, even if there are positive examples of its message being put into place. That needs to change.
We have to ask ourselves this question: Is it acceptable to only do something when it affects a player in the limelight like Jerome Boateng? We have to be there for everyone that is abused because of their religion, their background, their ethnicity or their sexual orientation. Whoever violates the values of football must be shown the red card!
To mark this year’s International Holocaust Remembrance Day, DFB president Reinhard Grindel paid tribute to the victims of the national socialist genocide in a speech at the German football museum in Dortmund. This is what he had to say.
Every year in December - if the circumstances allow it - our Under-18 squad takes part in a tournament held in Israel. Together with teams from Serbia, Hungary or Japan, football is played, but the most important part of the trip takes place away from the pitch. Every player speaks with Shoah survivors or their relatives, and most importantly, visits the Holocaust memorial, Yad Vashem.
Our players and their contemporaries from other countries are not only confronted with the inhumane acts of the Nazis, but also an important message from the Yad Vashem members of staff. The people of Yad Vashem know how impactful it is to share how the hopes and dreams of so many young people, just like those young football players stood before them, were destroyed in an instance. And I know just how much the experience moves the players, irrespective of if they are Christian or Muslim.
Lots of them then sit down and appreciate how lucky they are to have the chance to live out their lifelong dreams - to become a professional football player. And how lucky they are to live in a country where freedom and democracy reigns. Over 200 youth players have taken part in this tournament over the years. It gives them the opportunity to realise that they should not take the life they lead for granted. And I’ll say it once more; it’s a sentiment that is shared between our Christian and Muslim teammates, together.
Football has this immense power to bring people together. It brings together the young and old, the poor and the rich, both men and women, and people who have and have not migrated to this country. It is the obligation of everyone who is involved in football to spread this message of inclusivity. It doesn’t matter who plays who. Football is a pleasure for all to enjoy when everyone respects the rules - both on the pitch and off it.
But we also need to set our priorities straight. We get so caught up with the Video Assistant nowadays. I think we have to concentrate on what really matters, that being the values of football: respect and tolerance, fair play and team spirit. That is essential!
It sounds self explanatory, but in reality it isn’t. Players and fans of the Maccabi clubs have reported how they are abused at the lower levels of football. There is more racism than we realise behind closed doors. Zero tolerance is not always shown, even if there are positive examples of its message being put into place. That needs to change.
We have to ask ourselves this question: Is it acceptable to only do something when it affects a player in the limelight like Jerome Boateng? We have to be there for everyone that is abused because of their religion, their background, their ethnicity or their sexual orientation. Whoever violates the values of football must be shown the red card!
The DFB’s history has been characterised by a long process of coming to terms with its own national socialist past. In 2001, Nils Havermann conducted a groundbreaking study into the role of the DFB in the “Third Reich” named Fußball unterm Hakenkreuz (Football under the Swastika). The study showed how many DFB functionaries were exploited for the inhumane goals of the Nazis. It quickly became clear that there needed to be a lasting commemoration for those affected. This commemoration has now taken the form of the yearly presentation of the Julius Hirsch Prize.
We are extremely thankful to the Hirsch family for having so much trust in the DFB and allowing us to present this award in Julius’s name. Thanks to the positive developments of recent years, I think I’m able to say that we have set a clear example against racism and anti-Semitism. 85 years since a whole generation was starting to be destroyed, we now live in a completely different country. And we stand for a different kind of football. A kind of football that lives by the values of Julius Hirsch.
Football is a game for everyone. It stands for diversity, respect, fair play, tolerance, integration and inclusion. The DFB has over seven million members. Every single one of them is unique. However, we are connected by our mutual love of the sport and share a bond that is very special.
But we cannot prevail in the battle against anti-Semitism and racism on our own. We have to be careful who we let into our grounds to watch the game that we all love. We have to have zero tolerance for anyone who goes against the values of football and never let them back again. In this way, we can contribute to the growth of an open and diverse society. The memory of Julius Hirsch and all the victims of the Holocaust needs to be in the forefront of our minds, not only on this day of remembrance, but on every day in every single one of our clubs.
