Top German football club accused of censuring Christian footballer after Charlie Kirk tribute

A prominent German footballer faces club restrictions on his freedom of speech after posting Christian prayers on social media for Charlie Kirk, the conservative US commentator killed on 10 September.

The athlete, Felix Nmecha of Borussia Dortmund, was reportedly told to seek approval for future religious or political posts, reigniting debate over free expression in sports.

Nmecha, a devout Christian with a history of sharing conservative views online, posted two Instagram tributes. The first read: “Rest in peace with the Lord. Such a sad day. May the Lord comfort the Kirk family and the body of Christ in this time.”

The second stated: “Jesus is the way, the truth and the life. Celebrating the murder of a father of two and husband … is truly evil and shows how much more we need Christ.”

According to Sport Bild, Borussia Dortmund executives Lars Ricken, the sporting director, and Sebastian Kehl, the head of the professional football department, met with Nmecha on 12 September. They instructed the 24-year-old midfielder to submit all future religious or political social media posts to the club’s media department for review before publication in order to “clarify” them.

The directive stems from a specific “Instagram clause” in Nmecha’s contract, signed upon his €26 million transfer from VfL Wolfsburg in July 2023. The clause permits fines of up to €1 million if his online content is deemed to violate Borussia Dortmund’s values, which emphasize inclusivity and social responsibility.

Borussia Dortmund issued a statement denying any formal restrictions. “Felix Nmecha expressed his condolences, a right to which he is entitled and which is fully protected by freedom of expression,” a club spokesperson told Bild on 13 September. “The assumption that one of our employees would have to have his private social media posts approved by us in advance is not correct.”

Nmecha, addressing the controversy, said: “My idea was to express condolences to the grieving family and send the message that hate and violence are never a solution. I, too, disagree with many of the things Charlie Kirk stood for. But a human being was murdered in front of his wife and children. Expressing compassion is human and should not be judged.”

Nmecha, a German international, has played 75 matches for Dortmund, scoring 10 goals since his 2023 transfer.

The latest contention surrounding his posts commemorating Kirk is not the first time Nmecha has faced opposition off the field. His Christian faith and conservative-leaning posts have drawn scrutiny on multiple occasions.

In 2022, while at Wolfsburg, he shared a video of Catholic commentator Matt Walsh mocking the father of a transgender child, prompting widespread criticism. In June 2023, he reposted a message equating Pride Month with satanic worship, further fueling backlash.

When Dortmund then signed him in the summer of 2023, fans and organisations protested his arrival, due to his views, with banners outside Westfalenstadion, and local fan magazines published articles condemning the transfer. This included hostility from the LGBT fan group Rainbow Borussia, who argued against a move to "tolerate intolerance".

Club president Reinhold Lunow met with Nmecha and later defended the player and the decision to sign him. Ludlow stated that private discussions convinced him the player held no discriminatory beliefs.

At the time of his signing in 2023, according to Deutsche Welle, CEO Hans-Joachim Watzke and Lunow informed Nmecha that "he shouldn't use his position in the team or in the club for any sort of 'missionising' work".

Dortmund's reported censorial response to Nmecha's publicised comments on Charlie Kirk's death has drawn attention internationally and received widespread criticism. Elon Musk, owner of the social media platform X, posted on September 14, 2025: “Shame on this football team!” The comment received over 500,000 views, amplifying the story globally.

Photo: Felix Nmecha of Borussia Dortmund celebrates with teammates after scoring his team's second goal during the Bundesliga match between Borussia Dortmund and Sport-Club Freiburg at Signal Iduna Park in Dortmund, Germany, 23 November 2024. (Photo by Dean Mouhtaropoulos/Getty Images.)