German professional football club VfL Wolfsburg disciplined player Kevin Behrens after he refused to sign a gay pride shirt and made homophobic comments towards a fan who requested it.
The player allegedly refused to autograph a Wolfsburg shirt that featured the rainbow logo for the LGBTQ pride flag. Behrens also reportedly said, “I will not sign that gay contract [crap],” according to multiple reports.
Behrens has since apologized for the incident.
“My spontaneous comments were not absolutely correct. I would like to apologize for that. The matter has clearly been discussed internally and I ask for your understanding that I do not wish to comment further on the matter,” Behrens said in a statement.
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VfL Wolfsburg released a statement addressing the issues earlier this week.
“During an internal meeting, statements were made that were not in line with VfL Wolfsburg's position. The incident was immediately handled internally. VfL Wolfsburg emphasizes that it is aware of its social responsibility. The club and its employees stand for diversity and tolerance, and core values such as respect, honesty and openness have always been firmly anchored in the club's philosophy,” the statement said.
Kevin Behrens of Wolfsburg during a pre-season friendly against Brentford at Gtech Community Stadium on August 9, 2024, in Brentford, England. (Jacques Feeney/Offside/Offside via Getty Images)
On a page on its official website dedicated to diversity, Wolfsburg said that for years it “has regularly set an example of diversity and against discrimination”.
Multiple reports indicated that Behrens was suspended from the team. However, there are also several reports that indicate that he is still participating in training with the team.
VfL Wolfsburg did not respond to Fox News Digital's request for comment.
Behrens joined the team in January after three years at Union Berlin. He was called up to the German national team at the start of last season. His international debut came last October, when he appeared as a substitute in the 2-2 draw against the United States.
He has made three substitute appearances for Wolfsburg this season, totaling 42 minutes.
Wolfsburg captain Maximilian Arnold, who proudly wore the rainbow captain's armband for two seasons in solidarity, condemned Behrens' comments.
“Kevin apologized for something that was definitely not good. Everyone makes mistakes. One thing is for sure: something like this shouldn't happen again, but everyone deserves a second chance,” Arnold told reporters.
Behrens is not the first person accused of homophobia that has resulted in backlash, sanctions or discipline in the football world.
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The Pride Progress flag, which is inclusive of intersex, next to a Transgender Pride flag, on June 10, 2024, in London. (Mike Kemp/In photos via Getty Images)
In May, France's sports minister called for the Monaco football club to be sanctioned after one of its players, Mohamed Camara, covered a message of LGBTQ support on his shirt during the team's final league game.
French Sports Minister Amélie Oudéa-Castéra classified Mohamad Camara's actions as “unacceptable” and called for “firm sanctions” for both the player and the club.
Camara, who is Muslim, covered his badge with white tape and refused to take part in a pregame photo in front of a banner with the same message.
“Homophobia is not an opinion, it is a crime,” said Aurore Bergé, French equality minister. wrote in X. “And homophobia kills. There must be strict punishment for Mohamed Camara.”
Camara missed the first four games of this year's Ligue de Football Professionnel season.
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In 2021, all fans of the Mexican national team were banned from attending the team's World Cup qualifiers after fans used a chant in Spanish that included a word that is recognized as a gay slur. The team was forced to play the qualifiers at home in an empty stadium and had to pay a fine of US$73,000.
Mexican Football Federation President Yon De Luisa acknowledged that the chant was a long-standing tradition for the team when she addressed the fan ban at a press conference that summer.
soccer ball (Getty Images)
“For many years, this was the debate for us in the Mexican federation,” De Luisa said. “This is no longer a debate. If it is discriminatory, we should avoid it.”
FIFA announced its own disciplinary code to combat offensive spectator corners in July 2019. Under the code, referees must give a warning to spectators if offensive corners are used, but if they continue, the referees must abandon the match and players are sent to the locker rooms.
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