LEGENDS opens the 1st ‘Football, together for diversity’ Showcase in collaboration with LALIGA, Liga F and the Bundesliga

The LEGENDS Museum, The Home of Football, in collaboration with LALIGA - via LALIGA VS - alongside Liga F and the Bundesliga, has organised the 1st ‘Football, together for diversity’ Showcase, which will be temporarily on display in Madrid from today, June 21st. The exhibition will also include PUMA, a LALIGA and Liga F sponsor. The temporary installation aims to show football fans and visitors to the museum located in Puerta del Sol that the football industry is fighting homophobia, by demanding safe, diverse spaces which are free of hate. 

More than 20 projects and items created in recent years by the various leagues and clubs have been gathered together to underline the fact that football belongs to everyone. It's diverse, inclusive, and there is no room for intolerance on grounds of sexual orientation, race or creed. 

This pioneering temporary exhibition aims to raise awareness among fans to bring about change in society and to demonstrate that football has a transformative power that can help bring about that change: THE POWER OF OUR FÚTBOL.

Significant and highly symbolic items

At the 1st ‘Football, together for diversity’ Showcase, a number of objects featuring powerful messages of support for inclusion will be on display. These items are from the clubs and leagues, and were used to promote equality and diversity over the last few seasons.

The pieces on display include the four-metre FC Barcelona flags in the LGBTI colours that fly at the Camp Nou every June. Commemorative jerseys in the community colours that Athletic Club created bearing the names of legendary players who have played for its men's and women's teams. They were originally designed to surprise José Antonio Nielfa 'La Otxoa', a well-known artist from Bilbao, a member of the club and an unwavering defender of sexual diversity. 

Other items on display will be the Real Betis and UD Las Palmas shirts that were created together with their sponsor Hummel this season, to represent justice, respect and inclusion for all, regardless of ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation or creed.

Additionally, Cádiz CF supported the exhibition by lending a commemorative jersey created to support the fight against all kinds of gender and sexual discrimination. The captain's armband, which is worn every May 17th to support the fight against homophobia, will also be on display. 

CD Leganés and SD Huesca donated the armbands worn by their players as a reminder of the importance of supporting the LGBTI community, while promoting diversity on and off the field of play.

El CD Tenerife, por su parte, ha contribuido con un banderín de córner con los colores representativos de la bandera LGTBI. Se trata de un banderín que utilizaron en el partido que les enfrentaba al CD Eldense el 19 de febrero de este año, con motivo del Día Internacional contra la LGTBIfobia en el deporte, como muestra del compromiso del club insular con un fútbol más diverso y respetuoso.

On behalf of Liga F, RCD Espanyol de Barcelona joined the initiative by sharing the armband that its captain Carol Marín wore in a match this season to give visibility to the fight against LGBT-phobia in the world of sport. Plus, Costa Adeje Tenerife donated this season's third kit and the captain's armband to the collection, which feature the colours of the LGBT flag to promote diversity and respect.

Liga F itself has also contributed to the exhibition with its Amor por los Colores (Love for the Colours) campaign, which was launched on February 19th - the International Day Against LGBT-phobia in Sport - to raise awareness about the importance of fighting homophobia. LEGENDS now exhibits some of the thousands of laces that were handed out to players, referees, fans and youth players on that occasion.

Meanwhile, PUMA, a LALIGA and Liga F sponsor, joined the exhibition by loaning the third kit launched together with AC Milan this season, which pays tribute to the passionate and inclusive culture that both the sports brand and the club have at heart.

A global initiative that transcends borders

Another league from outside Spain also expressed its desire to take part in the 1st ‘Football, together for diversity’ Showcase, to show that football is united in the fight against hate and violence and, more specifically, against homophobia. 

This is the case of the Deutsche Fußball Liga (DFL), which together with the Bundesliga and Bundesliga 2, as well as the DFL Foundation, recently launched the TOGETHER! STOP HATE. BE A TEAM campaign. A project intended to highlight the importance of ending discrimination across all dimensions of diversity. From this initiative, the ball, commemorative jersey and armband worn by the players a few months ago in the German league will be on display at LEGENDS over the coming weeks.

This pioneering project has united these leagues for the first time with the aim of continuing the fight against hate and violence on and off the football pitch. The exhibition can be seen at LEGENDS, The Home of Football until July 21st as part of general admission to the museum.