Radical attitudes are increasingly visible openly in German football stadiums: in East and West, from the Bundesliga to the district leagues. To what extent is sport deliberately misused to generate radical opinions by right-wing groups?
The link between football and right-wing extremism
German football is enjoying runaway success in terms of ticket sales, ratings and TV deals. Lower leagues also have loyal followers and loyal fans. The downside: More and more negative headlines are coming from the stands. Incidents that have nothing to do with sports occur repeatedly. Socio-political dynamics seem to be more visible in football than in other sports.
Former neo-Nazi Philip Schlaffer was active in right-wing extremist groups for 20 years, starting as a hooligan in football stadiums. Insider provides insight into the links between football and right-wing extremism, the mechanisms of seduction and the actions of new far-right movements.
Amateur clubs are targeted by right-wing groups
In the center of the Ruhr area, the film team accompanies a district league club that openly positions itself against right-wing extremism. SK Bochum’s amateur footballers under coach Bastian Böcker made headlines when they did not play in a match at the end of 2024 as the rival club appeared to condone right-wing extremist sentiment. An event that has consequences.
Amateur clubs in eastern Germany are also feeling increasing pressure. SPD Bundestag member Maja Wallstein is an expert on extremism and is active as a football referee. He provides insight into his work, where he sees a clear shift to the right.
Criminologist Dr. Thaya Vester from the University of Tübingen. This is because they are less focused than professional leagues and do not have enough capacity to handle incidents.
From right-wing ideas to physical violence
Using the example of the Chemnitz football club, the documentary “Inside Fankurve” shows how deep-rooted right-wing ideas can turn into physical violence in some parts of the fan base: In the so-called manhunt of 2018, which made headlines around the world, several hundred far-right CFC fans organized an open manhunt for foreign-looking people passing through the city.
And currently the club is still fighting against right-wing extremist tendencies within its own group. At CFC’s home match against left-wing club Carl Zeiss Jena in the Regionalliga Nordost there was a police presence as at Bundesliga matches. On the sidelines of the match, Felix Müller from the “CFC Fans Against Racism” alliance gave an overview of the current situation in Chemnitz.
Countering extremism
Traditional club Schalke 04 now plays in the 2nd Bundesliga. The association has included the fight against racism and discrimination in its articles of association. Since 2020, there have been “#STEHTAUF touchpoints” for all kinds of extremism at every home game. For the first time, a camera team was allowed to accompany sensitive work on location at a ZDFinfo home game.
Experts classify these developments and show how important the role of football is as a magnifying glass for society. A phenomenon that is not new, but has a history since the time of National Socialism.
For the ZDFinfo documentary “Inside Fankurve – radical and extreme,” the team filmed from December 2024 to August 2025 across Germany, from the lower amateur leagues to professional German football. The film shows how German football is currently under increasing pressure from right-wing extremist groups and how the fight against it often pushes clubs to their limits.
