Pro soccer club with player who refused to sign gay pride shirt says he will stay with team

The German professional football club VfL Wolfsburg have said that player Kevin Behrens is still with the team and training with his team-mates despite an incident in which he refused to sign a gay pride shirt and used anti-fan language ask to be considered offensive.

In a statement to Fox News Digital, a team spokesperson confirmed that the situation is being dealt with internally, but that has not stopped Behrens from attending training sessions.

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Kevin Behrens runs on the field before a game. (Soeren Stache/Image Alliance via Getty Images)

“We can confirm that unfortunately the incident took place and there were immediate talks with Kevin Behrens. He is still taking part in training, but please understand that as a club in general we do not comment on the sanctions that players receive. , as a club, they continue to champion diversity and an open society Respect, tolerance, sincerity and openness have always been firmly embedded in the club’s philosophy.

Last week, Behrens refused to sign a Wolfsburg shirt featuring a rainbow logo LGBTQ Pride flag Behrens also allegedly said, “I’m not going to sign this gay shit.”

The player has since apologized for the incident.

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Participants hold a rainbow flag during the Pride Parade in Bangkok, Thailand on June 1, 2024. (AP Photo/Sakchai Lalit, file)

“My spontaneous comments were not entirely correct. I would like to apologize for that. The matter was clearly discussed internally, and I ask for your understanding that I do not wish to comment further,” Behrens said in a statement.

Behren’s teammate and Wolfsburg captain Maximilian Arnold has worn a rainbow captain’s armband for two seasons in solidarity.

“Kevin apologized for something that was definitely not good. Everyone makes mistakes. One thing is clear: something like this should never happen again, but everyone deserves a second chance,” Arnold told reporters last week.

The team previously conducted an internal video interview with player Yannick Gerhardt about his “commitment against far-right extremism and discrimination.” During that video, Gerhardt said he recognized his position as “a white, German man” in a “privileged position.”

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Wolfsburg’s Kevin Behrens during the pre-season friendly match against Brentford at Gtech Community Stadium on August 9, 2024 in Brentford, England. (Jacques Feeney/Offside/Offside via Getty Images)

“I am very aware of this, but especially if you are a privileged person you must stand up against any type of discrimination”, he said. “There have been many positive movements in recent years, for example ‘Black Lives Matter’, where all kinds of people have demonstrated. If the purpose is positive and in the spirit of equal treatment and honor for all human rights, I’m there. So it doesn’t matter if I have privileges or not.”

Behrens joined the team in January after three years at Union Berlin. He earned a call-up to the German national team at the start of last season. His international debut came last October, when he came on as a substitute in a 2-2 draw against the United States.

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