Sexism in the football stadium is gaining more and more attention. SC Freiburg and Werder Bremen had recently warned against knockout funds.
Recent warnings about knockout drops have surprised even fan pundits. “It may be unsettling at first when warnings are given at football matches, but on the other hand it is very good to draw attention to the fact that this danger exists”said the Berlin political scientist and fan researcher Jonas Gabler in an interview with the German Press Agency. “We know knockout drops from other contexts like clubs and bars.”
SC Freiburg had warned before the international break: “In the Bundesliga there has recently been an increase in suspected cases of knockout funds in stadiums. This is also the case in Freiburg.” It was also said that in the game against TSG 1899 Hoffenheim, several stadium visitors were said to have had symptoms that they suspected of the administration of so-called knockout drops. The police took up the investigation.
tackle the issue aggressively
SV Werder Bremen also issued a warning before the game against Bayer 04 Leverkusen. So far, the use of knockout drops in Bremen has not been confirmed, as the club explained when asked by dpa. In addition, the number of suspected cases reported is very small. However, it is very important to the club to tackle this issue proactively.
“The fact that football is now affected is in a way frightening, but basically also obvious because football is ultimately just a reflection of society – with all the highlights, but also negative developments.”said the head of fan and football research at the University of Würzburg, Harald Lange.
Gabler: “Sexism is very present in football”
Knockout drops usually act like drugs and can lead to unconsciousness. Offenders use this time for sexual offenses or to rob. The victims can usually no longer remember it afterwards. With regard to sexualized violence in football stadiums, attention to this topic has increased significantly in recent years, emphasized Gabler.
In his opinion, however, such incidents had not increased significantly. “Sexualised violence and openly articulated sexism are not new phenomena and are not limited to football. But spaces where there are a lot of men and where traditional notions of masculinity dominate are places where these phenomena are particularly evident. That’s why sexism is very present in football.”said Gabler.