Day of Remembrance in German football: "Political neutrality in sport is a fiction" (DFL)

"Political neutrality in sport is a fiction. Sports clubs are, by their organisational form, political institutions, as they are based on democratic core values and thrive on participation and equality. A look at history shows: democracy is not a given. And almost always, when democracy comes under pressure, it is accompanied by antisemitic tendencies. Football, with its wide reach, has a responsibility to live and defend our democratic values," declared the Deutsche Fußball Liga on 23/01/2026.

This statement was made as part of the 21^st "Day of Remembrance in German football" (called "Nie Wieder", "never again" in English) in honour of the victims of Nazism, scheduled on 27/01/2026 for Matchday 19 of the 2025-26 Bundesliga and Matchday 20 of the 2.Bundesliga.

"The Nazi regime exploited sport in various ways. Among other things, sport was intended to increase work morale and readiness for war, as well as to standardise leisure activities. Above all, sport served as a means of propaganda. The 1936 Olympic Games in Berlin were the sporting event par excellence, which the Nazis used to…