Scandal! Hertha sack Hungarian goalkeeping coach over comments on migration, homosexuals
Hertha Berlin on Tuesday sacked their goalkeeping coach Zsolt Petry over comments he made about migrants and homosexuals days ago in a Hungarian newspaper.
Hertha said while they were satisfied with the work of former Hungary international Petry, his comments went against the club’s positions on tolerance and diversity.
“The comments made overall do not reflect the values of Hertha,” said club CEO Carsten Schmidt.
“We thank Zsolt Petry for the work done and wish him all the best in the future.”
Petry, who had been at the club since 2015, had criticised European migration policies in an interview with the Magyar Nemzet newspaper, saying Europe was a “Christian continent.”
“I cannot understand how Europe could morally sink so low,” he was quoted as saying.
He also said he could not understand why Hungary and RB Leipzig keeper Péter Gulácsi was speaking up for the rights of homosexuals.
As we wrote before, Gulácsi’s post said the following:
Family is family, this could not be a question.
I have been living abroad for more than 14 years now. In both my private life and in professional sports, I have met various people who had different nationalities, cultures, religion, life philosophy or whatever else. The more time people spend abroad or among different people, the more they will realise that the fact that not everyone is the same. This makes the world more diverse, and the most important things in life are love, acceptance, and tolerance towards others.
Every person has the right to equality, and every child has the right to grow up in a happy family, be it small or large, consist of any genders, colour of skin or type of religion.
I stand by the rainbow families.
Speak up against hate. We should be more accepting and open.
Petry apologised for his comments and accepted the club’s decision.
“I want to stress that I am neither homophobic nor against migrants,”
Petry said in the club statement. “I regret my comment regarding the migration policy, and want to apologise to all those people who seek refuge with us.”
Also we wrote before, the Spanish, German, Dutch, Irish, Swedish, and Belgian ambassadors say that LGBTQ+ families should be equal to “traditional” ones. They say that not the gender of the people but their behaviour, their support, care, and devotion make them parents. Gulácsi also joins to the campaign, read details HERE.
Source: Reuters
Mr. Petry is entitled to his opinione, and his opinions, moreover politely expressed, deserve full respect. That goes without saying.
However, coaching also means educating and representing the club that is giving the employment, therefore if Hertha believes that Mr. Petry’s ideas do not reflect the club’s values and go against the educational principles of tolerance and multiculturalism the club is intending to promote, Hertha has full right to politely dismiss its employee.
P.s. I disagree on Mr. Petry being dismissed because of his opinions. That should never happen, regardless of whether the opinion is right or left wing oriented. I just mean the club has its right to decide the way they did.
Good luck to Mr. Petry, and hopefully he can spend his time of unemployment doing some readings that may widen his mind and his vision of the world and Europe. European values are not Christianocentric and nationcentric, there is much more than just that in the pot.
The world has gone crazy. There should be free speech. A goal keeper should only be judged on his performances during the game. People should keep their hands off of people’s private life.
Another example of fine education…