Euro 2020 rainbow row: Hungarian prime minister backs out of attending tonight’s match

Hungarian prime minster Viktor Orbán will no longer attend today’s Euro 2020 match between Hungary and Germany in Munich. This follows a row over lighting Munich’s stadium in rainbow colours to protest anti-LGBTQ+ legislation passed in Hungary last week.

Yesterday, Uefa rejected a request from Munich city council and LGBTQ+ activists to light the Allianz Arena in rainbow colours for the match.

Munich mayor Dieter Reiter said the decision was “shameful” and a wind turbine close to the Allianz Arena would be lit up in rainbow colours instead.

German health minister Jens Spahn today weighed in on the situation, labelling Uefa’s decision “very irritating”.

Uefa, European football’s governing body, said lighting up the stadium would go against its rules on political and religious neutrality.

In a statement released this afternoon, it said it is “proud to wear the colours of the rainbow” but that the request to change the stadium’s colours was “political”.

Earlier in the week, the German Football Association said it would prefer the lights were not changed for the match against Hungary.

Other German football clubs have announced plans to light up their stadium in rainbow colours tonight, including Cologne, Frankfurt and Berlin. Juventus and Barcelona also voiced support.

Hungary’s government last week introduced a widely criticised law targeting paedophiles which also bans the depiction or promotion of homosexuality to those under 18. Gay marriage is not recognised in the country and gay adoption is restricted.

The match between Germany and Hungary will be played tonight at 8pm BST.