Questions for AfD: 

  • In the event the firewall against your party is removed, what specific policy do you hope to see implemented the most outside of stricter immigration control?
  • Germany is becoming increasingly more diverse, is there a place for migrants in how your party envisions national identity?
  • What is the AfD party doing outside of Germany to further its presence on the international stage?

 

Berlin proposal memo: How the AfD is changing football culture in Germany

 

In recent years German football clubs and fan groups have become increasingly political, holding demonstrations against far-right parties and right wing extremism in stadiums on matchdays and in the streets. Back in February at St. Pauli, a Hamburg-based club with a strong anti-fascist tradition, fans made their feelings known by chanting: “The whole of Hamburg hates the AfD!”

 

A catalyst for football turning more political in Germany came last year when the country hosted the UEFA European Football Championship, and multiple members of the AfD criticized the team for not being German enough, and too “woke.”

 

Maximilian Krah, a member of the European Parliament for the  AfD, called the German team a “politically-correct mercenary squad” It’s the rainbow team. The pride team,” he said. “We can ignore it.”

 

Football has come to be viewed as playing an important role in defending democracy. In spite of these protests, the AfD is increasingly becoming more popular, and while there may not be banners in favor of AfD inside these stadiums, racism is becoming more tolerated in the sport. 

 

This was not always the case, I would like to get various perspectives around the sport – from journalists that cover it, to athletes/ managers of local teams who have either migrated or have politically supported or opposed AfD publicly, to what German-based organizations are doing to support individuals. 

 

Potential sources:

  • One of the local football clubs in either Nuremberg or Berlin that have come out publicly against AfD to get a management perspective, a player would be great as well.
  • German journalist Ronny Blaschke, who published a book about racism in football in January 2025
  • Gesellschaftsspiele,” a Berlin organization focusing on football fan culture and political education.