German professional football is making a clear statement for diversity, respect and social cohesion on and around Matchday 26 of the Bundesliga and Bundesliga 2 season (15-17 March). The joint message from the professional clubs of both leagues, as well as from the DFL and DFL Foundation is TOGETHER! STOP HATE. BE A TEAM.
The campaign will be disseminated in the stadiums and on digital communication channels, running in parallel to the International Weeks Against Racism, from 11-24 March.
On the themed matchday, ball stands, match balls and substitution boards featuring the campaign logo designed by the DFL will be used. The message TOGETHER! will also be spread through the broadcasts of the national and international DFL media partners.
– DFL Deutsche Fußball Liga
The campaign weeks will be accompanied by extensive digital activation designed to raise awareness of prejudice and discrimination in everyday life. A particular focus here is on awareness for discrimination across all dimensions of diversity – including age, ethnic origin and nationality, gender and gender identity, physical and mental abilities, religion and ideology, sexual orientation, and social background.
– DFL Deutsche Fußball Liga
The themed matchday with the motto TOGETHER! complements the continuous and diverse social commitment of German professional football. An overview of the initiatives and sponsored projects of the 36 professional clubs, the DFL and DFL Foundation can be found at bundesliga-wirkt.dfl.de (in German) – also in the form of a landing page that summarises activities relating to TOGETHER!
– DFL Deutsche Fußball Liga
The DFL Foundation will also be holding a digital talk on 21 March from 12:30 to 1:45 p.m. CET with Tobias Abel (Diversity Manager, VfL Wolfsburg), Deborah Levi (Olympic champion in two-woman bobsleigh and UEFA EURO 2024 ambassador for Frankfurt), Nina Reip (Sports & Politics Officer, German Sports Youth) and Burak Yilmaz (freelance educator and author). The panel discussion on the topic of “Stopping hate, living diversity: tips for everyday life in sport and society” will be moderated by diversity expert Johanna Mühlbeyer. If you are interested in joining the talk online, you can register here (please note, the talk will be conducted in German).
– DFL Deutsche Fußball Liga
International Weeks Against Racism
The International Weeks Against Racism stem from an initiative of the United Nations. Two weeks around the International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination on 21 March have been chosen as the period for the campaign, in which Stiftung gegen Rassismus calls on figures in civil society to take a stand against racism and discrimination. In 2023, the DFL and DFL Foundation as well as the clubs of the Bundesliga and Bundesliga 2 have already supported the initiative with the message “STOP RACISM”.
