Under the motto of “Diversity? We celebrate it!”, two matchdays in May – one for the She-Wolves and one for the Wolves – were dedicated to awareness of the topics of inclusion and diversity. At both the women’s home match against Köln and the men’s home fixture against Hoffenheim, various activities took place around the AOK Stadion and Volkswagen Arena, while both teams wore special diversity jerseys. As well as the message “Wir für Vielfalt” (“together for diversity”), the Volkswagen logo was also decorated in rainbow colours. The game against Hoffenheim also marked the end of VfL’s diversity week.
Experiencing for themselves
On the matchday, interested spectators from the boxes and corporate area had the unique opportunity to experience making their way to their seat as a wheelchair user, or while accompanying a visually impaired person.
Special mascots
In keeping with the theme, a special group accompanied the visitors from Hoffenheim onto the field at the Volkswagen Arena. The SV Vorwärts Nordhorn “Bunte Bande” team, from the German-Dutch border region, is made up of children and young people with disabilities. Together with their coaches, they have built up a team in recent years that is dedicated to the special needs of the children. For this, the club was recently awarded first place in the “NFV Sustainability Prize” by the Lower Saxony Football Association. VfL goalkeeper Merle Frohms and ex-coach Pierre Littbarski were among the judging panel. The team received the invitation from Littbarski and were delighted with the experience. “The children were totally enthusiastic and, after the long journey, very excited about the big moment,” said coach Timo Hentrup. “All the players took the time to high-five the kids, taking away their nervousness and giving them an unforgettable experience."
