Diversity In Sports

No doubt, the European Championships will provide some heartwarming moments – but the most adorable soccer-related story comes from Germany, weeks before the tournament kicks off.
In 2016, Deutsche Bahn (DB) – Germany’s mainly state-owned rail company – celebrates not just the Euros, but also the 25th anniversary of their high-speed long-distance InterCity Express trains.
And they’ve started the birthday campaign with an online-exclusive spot Germany’s leading tabloid BILD, who revealed the clip earlier today (1 June), dubbed ‘taboo breaking’.
It follows a young man who, in turn, follows his favorite soccer team around.
He cheers as they score, empathizes when his favorite player is fouled and in his flat, there’s a picture of him with his idol. So far, so usual.
But there’s a twist to the 100-second-story.
As it turns out, they’re not just player and fan, but boyfriends; as the athlete picks up his partner at the train station, they hug before wandering down the platform, hand in hand.
‘For the ICE’s 25th birthday, we want to show how it connects more than train stations and cities,’ Bertold Huber, chairperson for Deutsche Bahn’s traffic and transport committe, said in a statement.
‘The spot points the way to diversity and open-mindedness. That’s what our customers and employees stand for.’
The idea behind the spot comes from advertising agency BBDO, who also produced the clip on behalf of DB and described it as an ‘cineastic loveletter’.