Uefa vetoes illuminating Munich stadium in rainbow colours at Euro 2020 football match
- The Uefa decision was welcomed in Hungary but it drew wide-ranging criticism in Germany, with Munich’s mayor dismissing it as ‘shameful’
- Bavarian Prime Minister Markus Soeder tweeted the illumination would have been ‘a very good sign for tolerance and freedom’
The Union of European Football Associations (Uefa) has ruled that Munich’s stadium cannot be illuminated in rainbow colours for Wednesday's Euro 2020 match between Germany and Hungary, a decision dismissed as “shameful” by the city's mayor.
Uefa said on Tuesday it has rejected an according motion from Munich's city council because it would represent a political message in response to a Hungarian law.
The Uefa decision drew wide-ranging criticism in Germany while it was welcomed in Hungary.
Last Tuesday, the Hungarian parliament approved a law that restricts the information rights of young people with regards to homosexuality and transgenderism. The law is considered important for right-wing conservative Prime Minister Viktor Orban.
The Munich motion was made as a signal to promote diversity. Rainbow colours are often used by people in the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender communities.