German footballer punished for not signing gay pride shirt: ‘I don’t sign it’

German professional soccer club VfL Wolfsburg disciplined player Kevin Behrens after he refused to autograph a gay pride shirt and made comments deemed homophobic toward a fan who asked for it.

The player allegedly refused to sign a Wolfsburg shirt that featured a rainbow logo for the LGBTQ pride flag. Behrens also said “I’m not going to sign this shit,” according to multiple reports.

Behrens has since apologized for the incident.

“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.

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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 the position of VfL Wolfsburg. The incident was immediately dealt with internally. VfL Wolfsburg emphasizes that it is aware of its social responsibility. The club and its employees defend diversity and tolerance and fundamental values, such as respect, honesty and openness, have always been firmly anchored in the club’s philosophy,” the statement said.

Wolfsburg’s Kevin Behrens 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 it “has been setting an example for diversity and against discrimination on a regular basis for years.”

Multiple reports have indicated that Behrens was suspended from the team. However, there are also multiple reports that he is still taking part in training sessions 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 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.

He has made three substitute appearances for Wolfsburg this season with a total of 42 minutes.

Wolfsburg captain Maximilian Arnold, who has proudly worn a 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 clear: something like this should never happen again, but everyone deserves a second chance,” Arnold told reporters.

Behrens is not the first person accused of homophobia as a result of backlash, sanctions or discipline in the world of football.

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The Intersex Pride Progress Flag held next to a Transgender Pride Flag on June 10, 2024 in London. (Mike Kemp/In Pictures via Getty Images)

In May, France’s sports minister called for Monaco soccer club to be sanctioned after one of its players, Mohamed Camara, covered an LGBTQ support message on his shirt during the final league game of the team

The French Minister of Sports, Amélie Oudéa-Castéra, has described the actions of Mohamad Camara as “unacceptable” and of “firm sanctions” for both the player and the club.

Camara, who is Muslim, covered the badge with white tape and refused to take part in a pre-match photo in front of a banner bearing the same message.

“Homophobia is not an opinion, it is a crime,” said Aurore Bergé, France’s minister for equality. wrote to X. “And homophobia kills. There must be a 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 Mexico’s national team were banned from attending the team’s World Cup qualifiers after fans used a Spanish chant that included a word recognized as a homosexual slur. The team was forced to play the home qualifiers in an empty stadium and had to pay a fine of $73,000.

The president of the Mexican Football Federation, Yon De Luisa, acknowledged that the chant was a longstanding tradition for the team when he 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 must avoid it.”

FIFA announced its own disciplinary code to combat offensive chants by spectators in July 2019. Under the code, referees are expected to give spectators a warning if offensive chants are used, but if they continue, referees have to leave the game and the players not sent to the dressing room.

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