UEFA declines to illuminate Allianz Arena in rainbow colours for Euro 2020 game

The Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) has declined the Munich city council’s application to have its stadium illuminated in rainbow colours for Germany’s final European Championship group game against Hungary on Wednesday. UEFA quashed the Munich council's plea after Hungary's Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto on Tuesday alleged that a disinformation campaign was being used to rally international criticism of a recent law passed in Hungary that has been widely seen as targeting LGBT people.

UEFA declines Munich City Council's plea to illuminate stadium in rainbow colours

Declining the request, UEFA said in a statement that it understands the intention behind the proposal but 'must decline this request' because of its political context — 'a message aiming at a decision taken by the Hungarian national parliament.' UEFA said it believes “that discrimination can only be fought in close collaboration with others” and it proposed that Munich illuminates the stadium with the rainbow colours on June 28 for Christopher Street Day or between July 3-9 for the Christopher Street Day week in the city. The body said these dates 'align better with existing events.'

Munich Mayor Dieter Reiter’s application on behalf of the council made clear it wanted to protest a law passed by Hungarian lawmakers last week that prohibits sharing with minors any content portraying homosexuality or sex reassignment. The law was denounced as anti-LGBT discrimination by human rights groups.

Hungary's controversial law on LGBT

The law prevents children under the age of 18 from seeking council and guidance regarding their sexual orientation. Hungary’s National Assembly approved the bill against sharing LGBT content with minors in a 157-1 vote last week, when one independent lawmaker voted against it and all other opposition parties boycotted the voting session in protest.

Hungarian Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó blasted the German plan on Monday. “In Hungary we have passed a law to protect Hungarian children, and now in Western Europe they are griping about it,” Szijjártó said in Luxembourg. “They want to express this by including politics in a sporting event, which has nothing to do with the passing of national laws.”

“This legislation represents a new mark in the invisibility and disenfranchisement of lesbians, gays, bisexual, transgender and intersex people (LGBTI) and adds to the systematic restriction of the rule of law and fundamental freedoms that have been practiced for years in Hungary,” the Munich council said in its application, which had cross-party support.

Germany vs Hungary

Germany are set to play Hungary at the Allianz Arena on Wednesday in the group stage of UEFA Euro 2020. Germany come into this game on the back of a 4-2 win over Fernando Santos' Portugal on Saturday. First-half own goals from Manchester City centre-back Ruben Dias and Borussia Dortmund left-back Raphael Guerreiro and second-half goals from Chelsea forward Kai Havertz and Atalanta left-back Robin Gosens sealed the deal for Joachim Low's Germany.

(Image Credits: @UEFA/Twitter/AP)