The two former Irish international Richie Sadlier and Damien Duff were on RTE for the Germany vs Hungary game and went on a rant about the decision by UEFA to not allow the German’s to light up their stadium in the rainbow colours for pride month.

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Damien Duff and Richie Sadlier weigh in with their views on UEFA's rainbow stance. #EURO2020 #RTEsoccer pic.twitter.com/NfYwI28B21

— RTÉ Soccer (@RTEsoccer) June 23, 2021

Richie Sadlier: 

“I think UEFA had a choice here – they had the option to stand in solidarity with a community that has been routinely persecuted, marginalised, discriminated against, attacked in locations all over the world. The most recent attack isfrom the Hungarian parliament. They had a chance to do that and they didn’t, and they’ve tied themselves up in knots – the statement there saying on the one hand the rainbow flag is not political, but the request to use it in the stadium is. Hmm.

They claim to be about certain values, and there’s loads of statements – today’s one is the latest one – where they claim to be about equality, and respect, and inclusion, and openness for all. You can’t credibly claim to be for those things if you run scared at the first opportunity of being up against somebody who attacks those things, which is what they’ve done today. Whatever statements they put out now come out as hollow, cowardly statements.”

Damien Duff:

“If the Hungarian players have anything about it, they go and play the game and they look at a beautiful stadium that’s lit up. To say it’s political is absolutely nonsense. Like Richie said, I’m just echoing that, there was a chance to show support, their support for the LGBT community that’s a global community, that’s in Munich, that’s in Budapest where recently they played France and there were homophobic chants, homophobic banners in the stadium.

They talk about core values in their statement. Their core values – and not just because of today, because of my experience with them – it’s just money and power. They’re the two that jump out to me. They make out that they’re about diversity and inclusion. They’d a chance today to show that, absolutely not. The ‘Respect’ logo is absolutely everywhere but nobody respects them because of the way they do their work.”