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10th October 2006

Germany's professional football is getting actively involved in the fight against racism and discrimination

As part of the international week of action organised by the Football Against Racism in Europe (FARE) network in association with the the European governing body (UEFA), the German Football League will stage an extensive event in Week 8 of the season (20-23 October). Spectators at every stadium will be handed a red card bearing the message "Show racism the Red Card" and will be asked to hold it aloft at the same time.

"We want to send out a signal. The Bundesliga stands for internationality, cosmoplitanism and tolerance. We therefore feel it is important to support this European-wide week of action", explained league president Werner Hackmann: "There's no room for racism and discrimination in our football."

German football has a long history of supporting efforts against all kinds of discrimination. The "My Friend is a Foreigner" campaign, for example, took place as early as 1993. The clubs and companies have also been involved in a number of activities in recent years, including the "Day against Forgetting" and "The Week of Tolerance".