Following on from an English football party visiting Borussia Dortmund in February to share best practice, Kick It Out invited Bundesliga clubs to complete the return leg to further discuss challenges and successes around fan engagement, security and reporting.
The trip included taking part in the Experts Conference on Combatting Antisemitism in Football at Chelsea on Thursday before visiting the House of Lords with the Government’s independent antisemitism advisor Lord Mann, who is also a Kick It Out ambassador.
The group then visited the Community Sports Trust, Tottenham and Arsenal followed by a trip to Wembley on Friday to watch England’s European Championship qualifier against Malta.
The party was led by Dortmund’s Daniel Loercher, who helped establish a partnership with Kick It Out in 2019, and included officials from Bayern Munich, Bayer Leverkusen, Schalke, Werder Bremen, Union Berlin, Hertha Berlin, Freiburg and the Bundesliga.
Previously, the English delegation’s trip to Dortmund in February included representatives from Kick It Out, The FA, Premier League, English Football League, Chelsea and Watford.
Loercher said: “We all got an insight into how incidents are acknowledged and reported, and the way English football looks into different security issues.
“Another lesson is that Jewish life is more visible in England than in Germany, which adds more challenges and responsibilities. In Germany, I don’t think there would be a club with a Jewish supporters group of 300 people as there is here with Chelsea.
“The biggest learning is that we need to continue to cooperate and learn from each other. Both countries are engaging well with their supporters.”
Lord Mann said: “It was fantastic for Kick It Out and German football to continue its relationship in tackling antisemitism and complete the return leg after visiting Dortmund in February.
“The chance for Bundesliga clubs to visit Chelsea, Arsenal and Tottenham was invaluable for sharing good practice, and we look forward to building on the new relationships forged.”
