August M
A debate over symbolism in football has resurfaced in Berlin, highlighting how historical references continue to shape decisions in modern sport. At its center is a jersey number that officials say carries meanings far beyond the pitch.
Despite a narrow defeat in a recent vote, the issue is far from settled.
According to Digi24.ro, a senior official at the Berlin Football Association has vowed to keep pushing for a ban on the number 88 on shirts worn in the capital’s amateur leagues. The proposal was rejected earlier this month, but its sponsor says he will not back down.
The German news agency DPA reported that the motion failed by just four votes, losing 52 to 48.
Far-right symbolism
Among neo-Nazi groups, the number 88 is widely used as a coded reference to the “Heil Hitler” salute, as H is the eighth letter of the alphabet, Agerpres reported. Critics argue that allowing the number on shirts risks normalizing extremist symbols.
The proposal was put forward by Ozgur Ozvatan, vice president of the Berlin Football Association, who first raised the issue in November.
“I will propose this motion again and again,” Ozvatan told DPA on Tuesday.
Early warning
Ozvatan said a ban would help clubs identify potential far-right sympathies among players and supporters at an early stage.
“I can’t always have everything on my radar, but if we have this ban, then clubs would have an early warning system,” he said.
He added that resistance to the proposal came from several directions. One concern was raised by Berlin club BFC Germania 1888, Germany’s oldest football club, which feared complications linked to its name.
Objections raised
Other clubs also worried that banning 88 could lead to calls for restrictions on the number 18, another figure sometimes associated with Adolf Hitler’s initials.
Supporters of keeping the numbers available argue that not every use carries extremist intent. Some players choose 88 simply because it reflects their year of birth.
The German Football Association (DFB) has taken that position, saying the number is “not always clearly attributed to the right wing.”
Wider context
There is no nationwide ban on the number 88, but several regional football associations, including those in Bavaria and Saxony-Anhalt, have already prohibited its use on shirts.
In the men’s Bundesliga and second division, players are limited to numbers between 1 and 49. At some clubs, such as Bayer Leverkusen, fans are not allowed to order shirts with the number 88.
Last year, the DFB and Adidas also halted sales of national team shirts with the number 44 after the design was found to resemble the Nazi SS logo, reports Digi24.ro.
Sources: Digi24.ro, DPA, Agerpres
