The only way to beat hate is through love.
Munich’s Allianz Arena may not have beamed rainbow colours to its city and the footballing world from its 300,000 LEDs on Wednesday evening, but something wonderful happened instead. We can, we must, always do more.
But we should also enjoy nights such as these when love attempts not just to silence hate but to make it look small. Hungary’s Prime Minister Viktor Orban was not present. He would have received a colourful reception in more ways than one.
A part of most of us wished that Munich’s mayor had simply instructed the stadium lights to be displayed as planned, a “sod you” message to those who tried to stop him. But this was better: This was a choice made by thousands of people, not one. Rather than the rainbow colours casting their vivid light on the stadium’s environs, one giant gesture, this was a mosaic of good people doing a good thing. That only makes the message stronger.
This has been a miserable week for UEFA. On the morning of the game, they reiterated their commitment to anti-discrimination on every level but their refusal to allow Munich’s mayor to stand together with all within our community was a dismal misstep.
Their claim that the request was political – a deliberate response to Hungary’s anti-LGBTQ legislation – loses credence given that UEFA themselves launched an initial investigation into Manuel Neuer wearing a rainbow armband despite no official request.
And like it or not, this week UEFA has created an inadvertent image of false equivalence. It unwillingly presents them as orchestrators of an argument between those who spread hatred of the LGBTQ community and those who simply reject that hatred. No argument should exist because one side is promoting nothing but unacceptable animosity.
UEFA may feel that they are in a difficult position. You can see their point: They would love to live in the mythical apolitical land like some football governance Aslan where life is gloriously simple. But that is as fantastical as it sounds. UEFA cannot award major tournaments and continental finals to countries with lamentable human rights records and anti-LGBT laws and pretend doing so does not implicitly reward the autocrats that lead them.
Nobody doubts that UEFA do implement strategies to promote equality, attributing money and time to the evident issues. Unfortunately, PR matters too – we take our impression of the swan from the feathers above water, not the legs kicking frantically below it.
In every case there are two choices: Do something to be an ally or do nothing. Doing nothing may seem to be neutral, but if you are neutral towards injustice you project an image – even unwillingly – that the oppressor has won. The display of unity was a pointed retort that we will not let them.
We must discuss the football too, although there are no apologies offered for it being given secondary billing. This was the night that the group stage of Euro 2020 ended and it saved some its most spectacular moments until last.
The theory was that Hungary would be lessened without the full might of their support in Budapest, but instead they grew in stature. Germany, six-time finalists in this competition came within minutes of finishing bottom of their group. Instead, they finish second.
Hungary were dogged, determined and emphatically resilient. They demonstrated an intent to make the most of the counter-attacking opportunities that come their way rather than the defence-only strategy that would see them eventually picked off.
Replace Attila Fiola dancing forward against France to give them the lead with Adam Szalai throwing his burly bouncer build at a cross and producing a wonderful header past Neuer and Andras Schafer somehow having the desire to steal through.
But it was not enough. As Low turned to his bench in search of fresh legs, Hungary ran out of theirs. Leon Goretzka’s shot took at least one deflection but had too much power to avoid anything getting dissuading it from its path and Germany’s to the knockouts. They will need to improve against England.
And so we got our footballing moment, our moment where love beat hate. As Goretzka ran behind the goal in celebration, he passed the hordes of Hungary supporters, some of whom stand accused of homophobic and racist chanting during their group game against France.
Before Goretzka’s teammates could bundle onto him to share in his joy, he formed his hands into the shape of a heart and held it up to the stands. There is your statement. There is your message.
More from i on Euro 2020
- England aren’t ‘rubbish’ and Southgate isn’t a ‘fraud’ – we just need a bit of patience
- What the Premier League could learn from Euro 2020’s controversy-free referees
- The football nomad who became a hero for his role in saving Eriksen’s life
- How Ronaldo’s Coca-Cola stunt could change the face of football sponsorship
- How to watch every Euro 2020 match on TV and online in the UK
from Football – inews.co.uk https://ift.tt/3xMuF8q
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