The Munich Arena will be lit up in rainbow colors during the European Football Championship on June 22 and 23. The occasion is Christopher Street Day in the Bavarian capital, as the European Championship organizers confirmed to the news agency dpa. However, there will be no European Championship game in Munich on these two days.
The lighting of FC Bayern’s home stadium was a major controversial issue three years ago during the 2021 European Championship. The European Football Union (UEFA) had rejected a request from the city to have the arena lit up in rainbow colours for the third group match against Hungary. The background to the request was the protest against a law passed in Hungary at the time that restricted the information rights of young people with regard to homosexuality and transgender.
UEFA explained its decision by saying that the request had a political background and was directed against the Hungarian team and its fans. The rainbow flag is the flag of the LGBTQI* community (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer and Intersex) and a symbol of diversity, tolerance and sexual self-determination.
Six matches will be played in Munich at this European Championship, including Germany’s opening match against Scotland this Friday. This will be followed by three further group matches on June 17, 20 and 25, as well as a round of 16 match (July 2) and a semi-final match (July 9). The DFB team will play against Hungary in Stuttgart on June 19.
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The Munich Arena will be lit up in rainbow colors during the European Football Championship on June 22 and 23. The occasion is Christopher Street Day in the Bavarian capital, as the European Championship organizers confirmed to the news agency dpa. However, there will be no European Championship game in Munich on these two days.
The lighting of FC Bayern’s home stadium was a major controversial issue three years ago during the 2021 European Championship. The European Football Union (UEFA) had rejected a request from the city to have the arena lit up in rainbow colours for the third group match against Hungary. The background to the request was the protest against a law passed in Hungary at the time that restricted the information rights of young people with regard to homosexuality and transgender.
