UEFA didnt allow Allianz Arena to be lit in rainbow colours during a Euro 2020 game.
German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas on Wednesday criticized UEFAs decision to block plans to light Munichs Allianz Arena stadium in rainbow colors for Germanys Euro 2020 match against Hungary.
German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas on Wednesday criticized UEFAs decision to block plans to light Munichs Allianz Arena stadium in rainbow colors for Germanys Euro 2020 match against Hungary. "Its true, the football pitch is not about politics," Maas wrote on Twitter after the European football body blamed the "political context" for its decision. "Its about people, about fairness, about tolerance. Thats why @UEFA is sending the wrong signal," he said. City authorities had wanted the Allianz Arena -- owned by Bayern Munich, but rented to UEFA for Euro 2020 -- in rainbow colors for the crucial Group F match to "send a visible sign of solidarity" with Hungarys LGBT community.
But UEFA refused the request, insisting it must remain a "politically and religiously neutral organization".
Hungarys right-wing government last week passed a law banning the "promotion" of homosexuality to minors, outlawing any educational programs or material in which homosexuality is mentioned.
UEFAs move drew condemnation from football personalities across Europe, as well as from Germanys lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender community.
After UEFAs refusal, Munich Mayor Dieter Reiter announced plans to decorate other city landmarks in rainbow colors.
Munich will put up rainbow-colored flags at its town hall and illuminate a huge wind turbine close to the stadium, as well as the citys 291-meter (955-foot) Olympic Tower.
Other stadiums across Germany are also planning rainbow light displays, including Berlins iconic Olympic Stadium, as well as Bundesliga stadiums in Cologne, Frankfurt, and Wolfsburg.
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