BVB fan department criticises Nmecha's crown gesture as tied to evangelical networks

The goals and the gesture

Felix Nmecha scored twice in Borussia Dortmund's 2:1 match against SV Elversberg on Saturday, 7 November, before 81,365 spectators in Dortmund. After his first goal, a low, placed strike from the edge of the box, he ran toward the corner flag, dropped to his knees and mimed lifting an imaginary crown from his head and laying it on the ground. The 26-year-old has repeated that gesture after his goals, and N-tv reports he also showed it with the German national team at the World Cup. After his second goal, a long-range shot, he pointed upwards with his fingers, which the reports describe as another expression of his faith.

According to the reports, the gesture signals that success and fame belong not to him but to Jesus Christ, the king. It draws on the religiously motivated campaign "The King's Return", which Nmecha supports. Research by the ARD magazine Monitor, cited by N-tv, found that the surrounding network portrayed homosexuality as "sin" and abortion as "Satan's plan". WELT describes the gesture as a commitment to the network "Ballers in God", which holds extremely conservative views on abortion and homosexuality.

Criticism from within the club

The fan and support department of Borussia Dortmund issued a statement the day after the match, on Sunday, 8 November. It said its criticism is not aimed at Nmecha's faith or his visible religiosity, which it explicitly excluded from the criticism. It did, however, call his public support for the campaign a reason for a renewed assessment and demanded a clear distancing from evangelical networks. The statement says both "Ballers in God" and "The King's Return" spread a worldview in which people are devalued or excluded because of their sexual orientation, gender identity, way of life or personal choices. It also argued that footballers should not use their reach to back such groups.

The department rejected the idea that the gestures could be dismissed as private religious practice when a professional's reach is deliberately used for missionary work. The statement's central line reads:

“Where religious convictions are used to deny people their dignity or equal worth, our tolerance of intolerance ends.”

N-tv reports that the statement was written in a debate that has run for years, and that it adds pressure on the club.

Timing and what comes next

The statement cites the BVB's Grundwertekodex, its code of basic values, as the decisive reference point for the club. The debate about whether Nmecha should give up such gestures flared again after the weekend, although WELT noted that only a small minority of the 81,365 spectators were likely to know the background of the gestures. The club's members' meeting is scheduled for 22 November, and WELT described the timing of the fan department's reaction as significant ahead of it. The reports do not say whether Nmecha or the club has responded to the criticism.