Fight against homophobia

No hypocrisy – real chance for change

Marco Grüll in front of full stands in Hütteldorf.(Bild: Mario Urbantschitsch, Krone Kreativ)

A wave of outrage has swept over Hütteldorf since the verbal derailments in the derby - on Monday, Rapid will face the League Senate 1 at the hearing, and the following day will also present the catalog of measures to combat sexism and homophobia. A first step. Because almost all of soccer Austria has this problem. But now is the chance to finally bring about lasting change. A commentary by Rainer Bortenschlager...

The aftershock of the derby will continue to reverberate. On Sunday, Rapid will try to get back to their sporting routine, and the green-and-white team could set an example after the collective apologies at the Lustenau home game: From video messages to banners to a captain's armband in rainbow colors, a lot is possible. But everything would probably be dismissed as hypocrisy and actionism. Hopefully nobody will accuse the five Rapid "choirboys" of actually being homophobic. However, the excuse that they were "only" singing a chant that has been "accepted" for decades is also too cheap.

When players and fans sing together...(Bild: GEPA pictures, Z.V.G.)

This shows the dilemma, but is also an opportunity: racism, although unfortunately widespread in society, has also been chased out of home stadiums, and the horrible "Uh-Uh" chants have been silenced for years. Because the referees are instructed to interrupt the game and threaten to abandon it if such chants are heard in the stands. That had an effect.

Referees should intervene
Why don't the referees - at least the fourth official can hear what is happening in the stands - intervene when homophobic garbage can be heard? From the opponent to the VAR - in too many fan blocks in Austria, almost everything is still sung about as "gay". Which apparently doesn't bother anyone anymore. Motto: It was always like this. No. No more of that. That would be a real sign of sustainable change.

But that doesn't mean that opponents or even rivals have to love each other. Soccer also thrives on the emotions, the atmosphere, the sporting "enmity". It goes without saying that you shouldn't chant "Bombs on Hütteldorf" or "Death and hatred to the FAK". In most English stadiums, the opponent is not only, but now often humorously, made fun of. Mockery and ridicule with a wink. Which is often more painful for the recipient than crude insults. "What are you doing on Thursday?", echoed through our stadiums when our arch-rivals failed to qualify for the European Cup. Those are real hits.

Rapids fans don't always strike the right note.(Bild: Mario Urbantschitsch)

That's also possible here in Austria, without having to make soccer almost unaffordable for "normal mortals" or replace the "audience" like in England. But everything step by step. But the homophobic bullshit, sorry, has to stop now. If necessary, with the help of the referees, under pressure from the league. That would be more honest, more sustainable than pillorying five footballers now...