The German YouTube star Maximilian “HandOfBlood” Knabe (30) is shaking up the e-sports scene with his LoL team Eintracht Spandau. This has also caught the attention of the Alternative for Germany. The AfD showed interest in Eintracht Spandau and made an inquiry to the Berlin district office. In response, the club clearly took a stand on Twitter.
This is the unusual situation: Eintracht Spandau is an e-sports team, but enjoys acting like a soccer club, including public viewing and celebrations in the local pub. The AfD apparently saw parallels to FC St. Pauli and made an inquiry to the district office.
This inquiry was shared by “Summoner’s Inn” moderator Mori on August 30 via Twitter and called it a waste of time and resources. Subsequently, Eintracht Spandau published a statement and took a stand against the party’s values.
If you want to know more about what Eintracht Spandau is all about, we present the team in the video:
Eintracht Spandau wants to take a stand against the AfD, fans celebrate it
This is how Eintracht Spandau reacted: On the evening of August 30, the response from Eintracht Spandau followed, and it was clear. Because Eintracht Spandau says they represent values opposed to those of the AfD. They stand for tolerance and diversity, while the AfD stands for conformity and selfishness.
There should be no place for like-minded individuals of the AfD among the ranks of Eintracht. However, the inquiry also has a positive aspect, as it shows the growing attention for Eintracht. They want to actively stand against the AfD.
You can read the entire statement here:
Recently, the Spandau #noafd faction showed interest in Eintracht Spandau by making an inquiry to the Spandau district office.
— Eintracht Spandau (@EinSpandau) August 30, 2022
Since we apparently enjoy their attention, we would like to inform the officials of #noafd as follows: https://t.co/ERcdTDRzwV pic.twitter.com/W6qFL6CvNw
This is what the fans of Eintracht say: The fans expressing their opinions are thrilled with Eintracht’s clear position. They seem to be doing everything right if the AfD has a problem with it. Spontaneously, the anthem of Eintracht Spandau is also being rewritten (via Twitter).
Incomprehension about the inquiry
This is how the inquiry itself was received: Under Mori’s original post, there is mainly incomprehension. No one seems to really understand why the AfD is interested in Eintracht Spandau.
Well-meaning voices see only the interest of a party in e-sports here. However, for Mori, the inquiry has an aftertaste: The subject of the inquiry already has an aftertaste with the comparison to the rather leftist football club St. Pauli.
Moreover, the AfD shows its cluelessness here: Because “Eintracht Spandau e.V.” does not exist in this form, it is not a registered club. If it were really just about the demand for e-sports, they could have informed themselves better or contacted Eintracht directly.
Furthermore, the form of the inquiry is inappropriate. It is a so-called large inquiry, which, unlike a small one, is not answered in writing but is discussed in a session. (via Twitter)
What do you think about all this? Do you welcome the growing political interest in e-sports or do you find that the inquiry has an unpleasant aftertaste? Feel free to leave a comment with your opinion.
In other countries, e-sports have long been connected to politics. Especially in South Korea, League of Legends enjoys enormous respect and even influences legislation:
Politician wants to change the law so that Faker can continue to play LoL
