by In recent weeks, millions have been demonstrating in Germany for the preservation of democracy. The motivation comes from the center of society. He still has a good sense of when it’s time to hit the streets. That motivates me. As tournament director of Euro 2024 I want to organize a good event. Football brings a lot of people together and the whole thing is fun and enjoyable. This also strengthens our civil society. Sport can be a means to an end.
The European men’s handball championship in Germany in January has shown what sport can achieve. In Cologne, 30,000 people demonstrated in the city center and in the evening there were almost as many in the hall to cheer on their team. Protesting and celebrating are different acts, but they have something in common. They require physical presence and show respect. In this case, for our free way of life.
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In these times we must thank all those who organize exhibitions, fan areas, music festivals or sporting events for their commitment. Every cultural event now has a different meaning. It’s great that people are going out again after the restrictions of the pandemic. It is still the best place to feel that we are all human.
My decision to participate in the bid by the German Football Association (DFB) for the Euro after my career ended in 2017 was related to the crisis in the sport. At the time there were many doubts about major events. FIFA awarded the World Cup to Russia and Qatar, and the International Olympic Committee awarded the Olympic Games to Sochi and Beijing. European democracies were skeptical when the values of sport were mentioned.
This could not be in the interest of Germany and the western world. I wanted to provide something to combat this, on a small and large scale. I help as a coach at my home club, FT Gern, where my son plays. And I became the tournament director of the European Championship.
Blood is not a solution; it is destructive. When we are in favor of something, it keeps us alive – we need solidarity
It was already clear in 2018, when Germany won the bid from Uefa in Nyon ahead of Turkey, that there was a “Zeitenwende”. [turning point] it was about to dawn in the sport. We are now in an era when Europe must live up to its values. Sport can be a piece of a mosaic.
First and foremost, football is spectacle and entertainment. But the game can also be used to discuss many developments in society, both good and bad. No team has ever benefited from players pointing the finger at others after a win. Just as it does not help to blame certain groups of people, such as migrants, for the crises of our time.
In the spirit of Pierre de Coubertin and Jules Rimet, who founded the modern Olympic Games and the football World Cup respectively, international sporting events promote human rights and international understanding. For six years I have been performing my duties with this original understanding in mind. My role is that of a mediator, trying to make everyone understand that the competition can be used to create a sense of unity.
From the conversations with our partners, I know that many companies have realized that football is not just a business, but that it is socially sustainable and makes us resilient. Our government also supports us.
The institutions concerned need credible representatives and should reinforce each other in their tasks. The role of the DFB is to promote local clubs, where volunteers educate children. If its figurehead, the national team, also play as a team, then football fulfill its social responsibility.
I experienced it as a player. I was very excited before the opening match of the 2006 World Cup because I felt a great responsibility as an athlete. I wanted it to succeed; we as a team wanted to go far. Then the competition developed into something bigger. It was time for Germany to present itself to the world as a good host. The “Sommermärchen” [summer fairytale] created by the people and football was the catalyst.
Now we have the chance again. UEFA Euro 2024 should emphasize that we have the best conditions in Europe: freedom of travel, freedom of assembly, freedom of speech, to name only the most important ones.
Blood is not a solution; it is destructive and harmful to adapt to new circumstances. Favoring something keeps us alive. This is why solidarity is needed, including with companies and politicians. We don’t always have to agree, but we shouldn’t be too hard on those who have been involved in central parties for many years.
It’s now about the basics, the fundamentals. It is about protecting our free and peaceful coexistence. Sport must contribute to this. It is a great job for me, in Gern and for Germany and in Europe. I do it with hope.
Philipp Lahm’s column was produced in partnership with Oliver Fritsch at Zeit Online, the German online magazine.
