To homosexuality
Former footballer apologizes for controversial statements
October 26, 2025 – 8:40 a.mReading time: 3 minutes
Nuremberg’s club icon Enrico Valentini indicated in a podcast that he tolerates homosexuality – but does not accept it. Now he apologized.
He played for 1. FC Nürnberg for years. Enrico Valentini went through all stages at the club from youth to professional level and is now coach of the U14. Now he came into focus because he made controversial statements about homosexuality in a podcast. The player now reacted to this again – on a club platform.
The club published a video on Instagram in which Valentini directly addressed the fans. The former player begins with the words: “In the last few days there has been a lot of talk about my statements in the ‘Ka Depp’ podcast. I have thought a lot of intensive thoughts, separate from the reporting.”
Then the 36-year-old said: “First of all, I would like to apologize for my statements. The comparison I made between homosexuality and discrimination and racism. That was not what I wanted and I expressed it incorrectly. My intention was never to damage the club and I take full responsibility for that.”
What exactly did Enrico Valentini say? He said in the podcast as a self-professed Christian: “I treat homosexuals the same way I would treat any other person.” He then explained: “When the homosexual asks me, ‘Do you think what I’m doing is wrong?’ then I would tell him my opinion. Do I agree with you and what you practice? No. (…) But if he doesn’t ask me, then I’ll do a damn thing and say, ‘Hey, what you’re doing is wrong.’ Because who am I to judge him? I’m certainly not without guilt. So I should be the last one to judge anyone.”
In his statement, Valentini also addressed a comparison “between homosexuality and discrimination and racism.” By this he meant the following statement: “If he feels insulted because I don’t approve of what he’s doing, it’s just like me saying to a racist: ‘Hey, what you’re doing is wrong.’ This is exactly the same story. And the racist says to me: ‘Leave me alone. The world was better when it was the way it used to be.’ That’s the same principle for me.”