Jerseys for the club: A symbol of diversity and cohesion!
On May 20, 2025, the German Sport University Cologne celebrated nationwide jersey day to emphasize the diversity and importance of club sports.

Jerseys for the club: A symbol of diversity and cohesion!
The third nationwide jersey day took place on May 20, 2025 at the German Sport University Cologne, an initiative organized by the German Olympic Sports Confederation (DOSB) and its member organizations. The event aims to emphasize the importance of club sport and send a visible signal for community values. University employees and students wore jerseys from their favorite clubs and transformed the campus into a colorful and lively reflection of sporting diversity.
The motto this year was “We are many” and it was consciously pointed out how complex and diverse club sport is. A surprising number of members of the sports university took part in the campus photo, which illustrated the community spirit and sharing of experiences. Rector Univ.-Prof. Dr. Ansgar Thiel was particularly committed to this campaign and emphasized the role of sport as a means of social integration and inclusion, which made the campaign even more meaningful.
A symbol for club sports
As part of Jersey Day, the values of diversity, cohesion, respect, tolerance and sporting fairness were promoted. Loud integration.dosb.de Jersey Day is not only an opportunity to show club colors, but also a campaign that appeals to 28 million people from sports clubs nationwide. The DOSB and the state sports associations encouraged the wearing of club clothing in everyday life, be it at work, in schools or in the supermarket, in order to send a strong, visible signal for club sports.
The event was additionally supported by the participation of the federal program “Integration through Sport” (IdS), which is supported by both the Federal Office for Migration and Refugees (BAMF) and the Federal Ministry of the Interior (BMI). Around 1,500 clubs close to the program, including 890 support clubs, took an active part in the campaign. The BAMF employees also wore jerseys on jersey day to support diversity and democratic values.
The integrative power of sport
Sports have the potential to bring people from different backgrounds together, as stated in an article on bpb.de is described. Club sports are considered an important platform for social participation and integration, especially for migrants. Numerous studies emphasize the importance of sports clubs as meeting places where intercultural encounters and exchange between different population groups are promoted.
This jersey day once again demonstrated that club sports go beyond mere competitions and can become a central part of society and its values. By promoting diversity and inclusion, sport shows its true strengths and ability to overcome barriers.