本周，我们迎来了德国驻英国大使米格尔·伯杰 (Miguel Berger)、前德国国脚托马斯·希茨尔斯佩格 (Thomas Hitzlsperger)、斯通沃尔足球俱乐部 (Stonewall FC) 和足球支持者协会的成员来到温布利体育场，讨论包容性和盟友关系对 LGBTQ+ 社区的重要性。 2024 年欧洲杯。希茨尔斯佩格在英超联赛中为阿斯顿维拉、西汉姆联和埃弗顿踢了 100 多场比赛，他是今年夏天赛事的外交部大使，他分享了自 2014 年出道以来的经历，并讨论了这一点的重要性的榜样，以及德国为确保 2024 年欧洲杯为所有球迷提供一个包容且安全的环境而所做的工作。在十个主办城市中，球迷区的设计以包容性为核心，以确保他们受到欢迎和欢迎让所有支持者感到舒适。这将包括音频描述性评论和中性厕所的选择，同时志愿者正在接受有关多样性和包容性的培训，以确保他们能够帮助为粉丝提供最愉快的体验。“多样性是我生活中不可或缺的一部分，今年夏天，主办城市是关键。”希茨尔斯佩格解释道。 “无论人们是否有票，我们都希望将每个人聚集在一起，无论他们支持谁或背景，并利用我们运动的力量结交朋友和盟友并互相学习。”

He also confirmed the country’s emphasis on social sustainability this summer, encouraging supporters to use public transportation or to cycle to fan zones and stadiums where possible, while also adding that the German Government and UEFA have signed a human rights declaration ahead of the tournament to show their commitment to tackling discrimination. There will be signposting within fan zones and stadiums to make clear that any form of discrimination will not be tolerated, with multiple options for fans to report incidents so they can be dealt with quickly and efficiently.Reflecting on the discussion, Hitzlsperger added: “It was a great, open discussion – to have this kind of exchange is vital and I thank the FA for inviting us to Wembley Stadium. This is only the beginning, and we will hopefully continue to make progress when it comes to diversity and inclusion. "We know that football has the power to bring people together in a respectful way, and it is a platform that teaches us so much when it comes to fair play, camaraderie and team spirit. We’re excited about the tournament and we’re looking forward to hosting fans from all the nations. My message to all fans would be to come to Germany, support your team, make new friends and really enjoy it!”Ambassador Berger set the scene for the evening with an introduction to those attending. He said: “We’re thrilled to be hosting EURO 2024 in Germany this summer, a 'Home match for Europe' guided by the values of diversity, freedom and mutual respect. We want UEFA EURO 2024 to be a fair competition with exciting matches and lots of goals, and an event where intolerance, hatred and agitation have no place - simply a fantastic experience for fans from Europe and from all over the world.“It’s been great to hear about the preparations for the tournament, especially from a diversity perspective, from Thomas Hitzlsperger. I’m grateful to have had the chance to take part in his discussions with Stonewall FC players and others here at Wembley, the home of football. Many thanks to The FA for hosting this conversation!"

The FA's EDI director Yasir Mirza, who welcomed the guests to Wembley Stadium, added: “We are passionate about making our game more inclusive for all communities, and we want all our supporters heading to Germany this summer to feel safe in the knowledge that they can be their true selves. It was brilliant to hear from Ambassador Berger and Thomas Hitzlsperger about their plans for the tournament, and they are really putting the fans at the heart of their thinking. It was also great to hear from members of Stonewall FC, who are trailblazers within the grassroots game and continue to break down barriers and bring people together in the most positive way.”Stonewall FC is the highest-ranked openly LGBTQ+ football club in the UK, which aims to increase LGBTQ+ participation in the game. Now with over 160 members, the club has been running for over 30 years and in 2018, they became the first team to play a regular-season non-League match at Wembley, defeating AFC Wilberforce Wanderers 3-1 in a Middlesex County League Division One clash which marked the Rainbow Laces campaign.Player Will Palmer said: “It was fantastic to meet a role model such as Thomas, and to talk to somebody who has those experiences of coming out and openly discuss what it means for him and the wider footballing community, and also how we can create a more inclusive environment moving forwards."We’ve seen challenges in the past with ensuring football is a welcoming place for everybody, but today’s event demonstrates that Germany has set out a clear commitment from the start that their country will be welcoming for all fans this summer."We’re looking forward to seeing how it goes and it seems like they’ve started the journey well. It was an amazing experience for us to get the opportunity to come together and have this conversation at this historic venue.”