Controversial Knife Imagery at Cologne-Düsseldorf Derby Draws Criticism from German Officials

North Rhine-Westphalia's interior minister condemns 1. FC Köln for approving a fan banner depicting knife violence during a heated football rivalry match.

• A fan banner displayed during the 1. FC Köln vs. Fortuna Düsseldorf match depicted a man holding a knife to the neck of the goddess Fortuna, accompanied by mocking laughter over stadium speakers.
• North Rhine-Westphalia's Interior Minister Herbert Reul expressed outrage in a letter to 1. FC Köln's management, criticizing the approval of the banner and its promotion of knife violence imagery.
• The banner was reviewed by police and found to have no criminal implications, but officials, including Reul and Cologne's mayor Henriette Reker, condemned its insensitivity and potential to incite aggression.
• Mayor Reker, herself a victim of a knife attack in 2015, found the imagery particularly disturbing and inappropriate given the rising concerns over knife-related violence in society.
• 1. FC Köln's management defended their decision, stating the banner was part of fan rivalry and did not constitute a call to violence, though the incident has sparked broader debates on fan culture and responsibility.

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