Protest in front of the Stade de Luxembourg: FLF under criticism!

Protest in front of the Stade de Luxembourg: FLF under criticism!

Around 100 people demonstrated in front of the “Stade de Luxembourg” on Tuesday evening. The reason for the protest was the controversial decision of the Luxembourg Football Association (FLF) to field Gerson Rodrigues in the national team, even though he has been legally convicted. This decision sparked massive criticism and concern about the message it was sending to society.

There were also politicians among the demonstrators, including Green Party MP Djuna Bernard. She expressed sharp criticism of the FLF leadership and called for consequences for the current situation. Bernard defined the situation as a “worst case scenario” for the association. Her outrage at recent events was palpable, particularly regarding Gerson Rodrigues' statement, which she noted on Tuesday. “The FLF’s behavior towards the protesters on Friday was impossible,” explained Bernard, stressing the importance of making a statement while the focus should be on sport.

Protest action and banners

The stadium previously hosted a friendly match between Luxembourg and Slovenia. The protest was organized by feminist groups, including CID Fraen an Gender. The demonstrators brought banners with slogans such as “Red card for the FLF” and “Red card against violence against women”. However, these banners were removed by stewards approximately ten minutes after the game kicked off.

Maxime Miltgen, president of the Socialist Women (LSAP), was also critical of Rodrigues' appointment. She pointed out the negative message this sends to young people. Miltgen was outraged by Rodrigues' comment on Instagram in which he said: "Only God can judge me." She called for clear rules for sports associations and responsibility for fellow players and also appealed to politicians to create stricter regulations.

Reactions of the FLF

Reactions to the protests and the FLF's initial decisions were mixed. Paul Philipp, President of the FLF, described the critics as “pseudo-politicians” and tried to reduce the pressure on the association. Nevertheless, the debate over how to handle cases like Gerson Rodrigues remains acute and polarizes public opinion.

Overall, the protest action shows a clear trend towards a greater sense of responsibility in sport and the effort to focus on social values ​​such as respect and equality. The demonstrators make it clear that the values ​​of football are not compatible with violence and injustice.