Bundesliga club Werder Bremen has cancelled its planned US summer tour, which included matches in Minneapolis and Detroit, citing political, safety, and sporting concerns. The tour was originally scheduled for May ahead of the 2026 World Cup in the US, Canada, and Mexico.
A club spokesperson told AFP that “playing in a city where there is unrest and people have been shot does not fit with our values,” referring to protests in Minneapolis where two American citizens were killed in January amid a federal immigration crackdown. The spokesperson also noted that new US entry requirements, including social media reviews, created uncertainty over which players could travel.
Bremen, currently 16th in the Bundesliga and in the relegation playoff spot, said the club’s league position added economic and sporting risks to the trip. The club has a history of taking political stances, including leaving X, formerly Twitter, in 2024 due to hate speech and far-right content.
Coach Daniel Thioune, Germany’s first Black professional football manager, recently condemned racism in football following Vinicius Junior’s allegations of racial abuse during Real Madrid’s 1-0 win over Benfica. Thioune emphasized that racism “has no place in football and should not have a place anywhere in society.”
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