The German Football Association resolves a delicate matter.

The German Football Association resolves a delicate matter.

"Avoiding disputes: The DFB addresses the delicate matter of the captain's armband differently than during the World Cup in Qatar prior to the UEFA home tournament. İlkay Gündoğan, captain of the national team, will wear the "Respect" band of UEFA, while the DFB refrains from its own design."

Julian Nagelsmann merely wants to "play" and the request of the national coach will be granted. The German Football Association has learned from the unsettling political discussions of the past and eliminates a potential hot topic before the home EURO. National team captain İlkay Gündoğan will wear the authorized UEFA captain's band at the EURO. The DFB confirmed this in response to a request from SID, resonating with the public position stated by Nagelsmann for a while.

"I would prefer that the team stays away from any debates," the national coach had emphasized previously. Differently than the EM 2021 and the World Cup in Qatar 2022, where the heated discussions about the piece of cloth on the arm of then-captain Manuel Neuer grabbed attention and at times overshadowed the sporting aspect.

"Political and social issues usually spark conversations within a football team, where different viewpoints, cultures, and faiths come together - and that often impacts performance," Nagelsmann said in a statement. Pragmatically, he added: "If we play a successful European Championship, and 15% more children sign up for clubs after this tournament, we have made a greater contribution to society than with a gesture before a game."

"Respect" band with a clear statement at the EURO

This was a reference to the action taken by the DFB team in response to the unofficial ban of the "One Love" band by FIFA before the World Cup opener in Qatar against Japan. The scene, where the professionals held their hands in front of their mouths before the game, made headlines globally. The debate eclipsed the whole tournament and was blamed by the sporting management around National Coach Hansi Flick for the dismal group stage exit. Even during the EURO 2021, there were discussions about the rainbow colors on Neuer's arm.

Now, the DFB is not applying for its own design for the piece of cloth, which it could have done as a participating tournament. In the friendly match against Ukraine on Monday in Nuremberg and again against Greece on June 7 in Mönchengladbach, Gündoğan will wear the standard black-red-gold band. At the tournament, the FC Barcelona professional will wear the UEFA band during the opening game against Scotland in Munich on June 14.

Here, UEFA places its classic campaign "UEFA Respect", available in blue and yellow. The message: Respect for the opponent, coaches and officials, referees, and fans, along with a clear stand against racism and discrimination in any form.

DFB President Bernd Neuendorf is also striving to sidestep controversial issues before the tournament. The association has made sustainability its main theme, and it should not be "the big world politics," said Neuendorf.

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1. After considering the controversies from previous tournaments, Julian Nagelsmann wanted to minimize debates, and the German Football Association (DFB) agreed to allow Iłkay Gündogan to wear the UEFA's "Respect" band during the EURO, diverting from the controversies surrounding Manuel Neuer's armband in previous tournaments like the EM 2021 and the World Cup in Qatar 2022.
2. Despite having the opportunity to apply for its own design for the armband as a participating tournament, the DFB decided to avoid potential hot topics and elected to let Gündogan wear the standard black-red-gold band during friendly matches against Ukraine and Greece, before switching to the UEFA band during the EURO opening game against Scotland in Munich on June 14.
3. The UEFA's "UEFA Respect" campaign, available in blue and yellow, features a clear message advocating respect for opponents, coaches, officials, referees, and fans, as well as a firm stance against racism and discrimination in any form, encouraging unity among the European soccer community and reflecting the values of the participating teams.

Source: www.ntv.de