Borussia Dortmund has reportedly placed social media restrictions on one of their players after he offered his thoughts and prayers to the murdered American far-right political pundit, Charlie Kirk.
Kirk was assassinated on September 10 while he was speaking at an event at Utah Valley University. The killing has become a divisive moment in the already-tense American political landscape in the following days.
In the aftermath, Dortmund forward Felix Nmecha posted a pair of tributes to Kirk on his Instagram story.
The first was an image of Kirk with the caption, ‘Rest in peace with the Lord. Such as [sic] sad day, may the Lord comfort the Kirk family & the body of Christ in this time.’
He followed that up with a second post, saying, ‘Jesus is the way, the truth and the life!!!
‘To celebrate the assassination of a father of two, a husband and a man who stands for his beliefs and values peacefully is truly evil and shows how much more we’re in need of Christ. May God have mercy and open our eyes and hearts in Jesus name.’
Borussia Dortmund has reportedly put social media restrictions on forward Felix Nmecha after he expressed condolences for the family of American far-right political pundit Charlie Kirk
Kirk was shot in the neck and killed at an event at Utah Valley University on September 10
This is not the first time that Nmecha has made a post deemed controversial. As such, according to German outlet Bild, leaders at the club held a meeting with the 24-year-old.
In that discussion with managing director Lars Ricken and sporting director Sebastian Kehl, Nmecha was told that BVB supports freedom of expression.
However, the two former Dortmund players-turned-executives informed him that the reaction to his posts was causing unrest within the club.
According to Bild, the two then informed Nmecha that in the future, he will be required to inform the club of any posts he plans to make.
From there, BVB’s social media team will approve any messages he wishes to send and will advise him on any potential pushback.
Daily Mail Sport has contacted Borussia Dortmund for comment on this matter.
Nmecha, who played in the academy at Manchester City and made three first-team appearances for the Cityzens from 2018-2021, signed for Dortmund in the summer of 2023 from Wolfsburg and inked a five-year contract with the club.
Dortmund has told Nmecha he will now have to get his social media posts approved by the club
Nmecha’s signing for BVB in 2023 was divisive after he made multiple controversial posts
However, the BVB fanbase pushed back on the signing due to multiple social media posts the then-22-year-old made which were received as homophobic and transphobic.
In February of 2023, Nmecha, who is a devout Christian, re-posted an Instagram video from another American right-wing pundit – Matt Walsh – in which he mocked the father of a transgender child.
While Nmecha claimed that he didn’t agree ‘with the majority of what Matt Walsh says and how he mocks people’, the forward did not offer an apology.
Months later, coinciding with the beginning of Pride Month, Nmecha once again shared a post from a fundamentalist Christian social media account equating the LGBTQ+ celebration to satanic worship.
According to German football journalist Raphael Honigstein (then writing for The Athletic), club president Reinhold Lunow admitted to having ‘great concerns about [Nmecha] sharing Borussia’s values’ before and that the player posted content ‘that could certainly be interpreted as homophobic or anti-queer’.
Nmecha, a devout Christian, re-posted a video in 2022 mocking the father of a transgender child and equated the celebration of LGBTQ+ Pride Month to Satanic worship
BVB fans protested the signing of Nmecha before the deal to acquire him was completed
However, according to a statement from Lunow and longtime Dortmund executive Hans-Joachim Watzke, Nmecha ‘completely convinced us during intensive talks that he does not hold any transphobic or homophobic beliefs.’
When links to Nmecha were first revealed, Dortmund supporters – which have a vocal left-leaning faction – openly protested and called for the club to back out of negotiations.
Multiple articles were written in fanzines condemning the idea before the move was completed and banners were held up outside the Westfalenstadion demanding the club to not go through with the signing.
However, the deal was still completed. Since signing in 2023, Nmecha has made 75 appearances and scored ten goals in all competitions for the ‘Schwarzgelben’.
