TSV 1860: Ismaik flag should disappear – management also complains about internet agitation

Created: 08/08/2022, 17:12

By: Moritz Bletzinger

A flag against Ismaik: The lion shareholder feels offended and discriminated against.

© Imago/Ulrich Wagner

A flag as a bone of contention at 1860: A fan banner shows Hasan Ismaik's likeness crossed out.

Management wishes not to see it again.

Munich - A flag, a divided club.

A banner with the crossed-out portrait of Hasam Ismaik flies in the block of the lion fans in the Grünwald stadium.

The flag is not new, but now the discussions about publicly displayed rejection of the shareholder side have reached a new level.

"'The recipient makes the message, not the sender'" is a well-known saying," writes the management of TSV 1860 Munich in an open letter: "So the flag, which shows a crossed-out likeness of Hasan Ismaik, comes to the recipient and its culture as an insult and discrimination.”

"Speak out against this flag": 1860 management no longer wants to see the anti-Ismaik flag

And: "Therefore, as management, we speak out against this flag and wish that this message will no longer be seen at the lion games in the future."

The successful start of the season for TSV 1860 is clouded by the unrest, the KGaA complains, "insults against the shareholders of TSV 1860 Munich" are contrary to the team motto "One team - one way".

1860: Fans hand out against Ismaik and Powers - protest flag prominently seen at the start of the league

Investor Hasan Ismaik has always been controversial in fan circles, but there was no public discussion about the anti-Ismaik banner in the Löwen-Bock.

Until it got a big stage: ARD broadcast the third division opener against Dynamo Dresden live and waved the flag after all four goals.

But it's not just about Ismaik.

Anthony Power was also repeatedly targeted by the lion fans.

A t-shirt affair had recently caused resentment.

Merchandising GmbH used the design of a fan shirt.

Almost cynical for many Löwen supporters, since Power had sued the eV not too long ago for trademark rights.

In the meantime, however, this mistake has been resolved, explained President Robert Reisinger at the annual general meeting.

“Also refrain from insults on the Internet”: 1860 controls web channels

Nevertheless, the atmosphere around the lions is blazing.

What was previously visible primarily in fan portals and comment columns should now become invisible in Grünwalder.

At least that is the wish of the management, which is also targeting the network for unity.

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"While we, as the management, have a duty in our stadium to show a clear edge against insults of all kinds, but especially against organs of TSV 1860 Munich, we can only appeal to reason on other fields," writes the 1860 management: "Therefore call We call on all Löwen fans to refrain from insults against all shareholder representatives on the Internet, whether in the comment columns of the club's social media channels or on the Internet, and especially in the comment section of the blogs.

On our own channels, we have instructed our employees not to tolerate insults and to prevent corresponding entries and process them accordingly in order to protect everyone associated with TSV 1860 Munich.”

Freedom of expression debate at 1860 Munich: How do the fans react to the open letter from the KGaA?

For this announcement, the KGaA caught a piquant point in time.

Because at TSV 1860 there is currently a debate about freedom of expression.

After several notable interviews, President Robert Reisinger suggested that coach Michael Köllner take a back seat verbally.

The coach countered and took the discussion to another level.

And so the recent advance of the KGaA is more likely to cause new discussions.

"Everyone can say what they want," Köllner replied to Reisinger's rebuke.

A sentence that the 1860 management could probably hear from the fans in one way or another.