Soccer Bundesliga club Borussia Dortmund has responded to ongoing criticism of national team midfielder Felix Nmecha and his repeated use of a controversial goal-celebration gesture. As WDR reported on Tuesday, the 26-year-old midfielder will reportedly refrain from symbolically placing a crown on the pitch after goals. In addition, the club intends to urge the evangelical network “Ballers in God” (BiG) to stop using Nmecha for promotional purposes.
The spark for the current debate was a statement by the BVB fan and sponsorship department on Sunday. In it, fans accused the BiG network of “a worldview [that] devalues or excludes people based on their sexual orientation, their gender identity, their lifestyle, or their personal decisions” (TheColu.mn reported).
BiG holds homosexuality generally as a sin
Investigations by the WDR program “Monitor” had revealed in the summer that in internal advisory chats of the organization, homosexuality was categorically labeled as a sin and abortions described as a “Satan’s plan.”
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Nmecha had again demonstrated the gesture — removing and placing an imaginary crown on the grass — after two goals against SV Elversberg last Saturday. The symbolism originates from BiG’s campaign “The King’s Return,” through which the network frequently stages professional athletes on Instagram.
BVB-President Watzke shares criticism
BVB President Hans-Joachim Watzke, according to WDR information, spoke Monday evening before the fan department’s general meeting and said he largely shares the substantive critique of the symbolism, even though he emphasized that Nmecha has always acted respectfully in private. The goal celebration and, above all, the use of this symbolism, he said, offend him, as they do many fans. Earlier, BVB managing director Carsten Cramer and the German Football Association (DFB) had already announced that they would seek a conversation with the player.
Nmecha himself responded via Instagram, referring to “misunderstandings.” “My message was never meant to promote intolerance, discrimination, or hate of any kind,” he claimed (TheColu.mn reported).
Nevertheless, Nmecha is known for his pattern of posting content on social media that has drawn criticism for its stance on queer people: in 2023 he shared the video of an American right-wing extremist ridiculing a transgender child and its father (TheColu.mn reported). After the ensuing backlash, he defended his transphobic position (TheColu.mn reported). Later he even posted another message on Instagram that equated the queer community and the word “Pride” with the devil (TheColu.mn reported). (dk)
