Supporters of Borussia Dortmund from the LGBTQ+ community have expressed their disappointment regarding the club’s £25 million summer acquisition of Felix Nmecha. This comes after Nmecha shared posts on social media that were considered homophobic and transphobic earlier this year.
Felix Nmecha, a product of the Manchester City academy, recently joined Dortmund after a successful two-year tenure at Wolfsburg. However, he has faced criticism in the past for his behavior on social media, which was deemed ‘homophobic’ and transphobic, conflicting with the club’s stance against discrimination.
In February, the German midfielder posted an Instagram picture of right-wing American commentator Matt Walsh ridiculing the parent of a transgender child.
Nmecha, who is known for being a devout Christian, received backlash on social media and subsequently stated that he disagreed with ‘the majority of what Matt Walsh says and how he mocks people’, without issuing an apology.
In June, he faced criticism again for posting a story on social media that equated Pride Month to devil worship. The 22-year-old promptly deleted the Instagram story and did not immediately address the accusations of being anti-inclusive.
Later, he posted an unrelated picture on Instagram embracing VfB Stuttgart defender Josha Vagnoman while wearing a shirt adorned with rainbow colors.
Alongside the picture, he wrote, ‘In my footballing journey so far I’ve met people from all different backgrounds, ethnicities and beliefs. It’s important that I make it clear that I genuinely love ALL people and don’t discriminate against anyone.’
However, several Black and Yellow fans are dissatisfied with the club’s decision to enlist Nmecha.
Larissa, a staunch Dortmund supporter and editor of the digital fanzine Schwatzgelb, conveyed to The Athletic: ‘We’ve received numerous messages from affected individuals who are disillusioned and can’t fathom what has transpired.
‘Dortmund has built a reputation as a role model for combating discrimination in recent years, but they seem to be missing the gravity of the problem and its implications.’
The season-ticket holder, who identifies as queer, asserted that she would refrain from attending Signal Iduna Park next season if the club or player fails to rectify the situation.
Upon learning about Nmecha’s potential transfer to Dortmund earlier this summer, a group of anti-discrimination supporters called ballspiel.vereint visited the BVB headquarters and urged the club to consider their values before finalizing the signing.
Dortmund’s CEO Hans-Joachim Watzke and president Reinhold Lunow reassured in a joint statement on Monday that Nmecha’s beliefs align with the club’s values.
‘He completely convinced us during intensive discussions that he does not hold any transphobic or homophobic beliefs.
‘Felix himself emphasized that he respects and loves all people regardless of skin color, religion, or sexual orientation.
‘Felix is very young, his religious convictions are deeply rooted, and he – like all of us – is certainly not without faults.’