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The former goalkeeping coach from Hertha BSC has again defended himself against the accusation of having made homophobic and anti-migration statements in an interview.
Zsolt Petry told the “Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung” on Monday that the Hungarian newspaper “Magyar Nemzet” had shortened the interview inadmissibly after the authorization.
There the Hungarian Petry was quoted as saying that he did not understand what made his compatriot Peter Gulacsi from RB Leipzig "stand up for homosexuals, transvestites and people with other gender identities".
“I've tried to make it clear that everyone, like Peter, is free to express their opinion.
However, I pointed out that young players with statements on political issues are often exposed to hostility that can damage or end their careers, "Petry told the FAZ.
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“That's why I said I don't know how he could do it.
Not, I don't understand.
That was not translated correctly. ”In addition, the sentence that he“ can very well imagine that a child can grow up very happily in a homosexual family ”has been deleted from the interview.
In an interview with the RBB, Arne Friedrich, Hertha's sports director, recently emphasized that the club had carefully examined the case.
“We had the interview professionally translated.
We talked to Zsolt personally and we gave intensive advice and of course we also looked: What do we, Hertha BSC, stand for? ”Explained Friedrich and defended the dismissal.
“And in the end we made this decision very clearly.
And we also stand by the decision. "
Hungary draws Nazi comparison
These remarks by the long-time coach would “overall not correspond to the values of Hertha BSC,” said Carsten Schmidt, chairman of the club's management team after the exemption, but also made it clear: “He never acted homophobically or xenophobically.” The club set Nevertheless, “actively advocates values such as diversity and tolerance, because these values are important to us”, it said in a message: “This is not reflected in the statements by Zsolt Petry, which he made publicly as our employee.”
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The Petry case had recently even drawn political circles.
President Viktor Orbán's chief of staff questioned the rule of law in Germany.
"In a constitutional state, one cannot be punished for expressing an opinion," said Orbán confidante Gergely Gulyás.
The move reminds him of the “totalitarian regime” in Germany during the Nazi era.
"Above all, Germany must answer the question of whether it is still upholding the rule of law." The Hungarian Foreign Ministry declared last Thursday that the dismissal "restricts freedom of expression" and appointed the chargé d'affaires at the German embassy.