What inspired you to establish the Ilan Fiorentino Cup – and what does the tournament mean to you personally and to the Jewish Community of Düsseldorf?
The Ilan Fiorentino Cup was launched by the Jewish Community of Düsseldorf as part of the “Shalom Chaverut” project to bring people together through sport and, at the same time, keep the memory of Ilan Fiorentino alive. He was a member of the Sha’ar HaNegev Veterans Team and was murdered by Hamas terrorists on October 7, 2023. Football connects people across cultural, religious, and linguistic boundaries, sparking encounters that rarely happen in everyday life.
For me personally, the tournament represents community, respect, and lived diversity. What moves me most is the friendship that has developed since we first met the team from Sha’ar HaNegev in September 2024. Despite the geographical distance, today we are united by far more than just football. These encounters have shown us the importance of personal contact, mutual understanding, and genuine connection. It is incredibly important to us to nurture this friendship and not only to express solidarity, but also to actively live it, especially in light of the events of October 7, and the challenges the people in the region continue to live with. The Ilan Fiorentino Cup provides a unique setting for this, because it brings people together and shows how unifying sport can be.
For the Jewish Community of Düsseldorf, the Cup is far more than a sporting event: It is a visible sign that Jewish life is a natural part of our society and actively contributes to social cohesion. As a community, we view ourselves not only as a religious and cultural home for our members, but also as a builder of bridges between different people and walks of life. We want to create spaces where people can encounter one another, break down prejudices, and build shared positive experiences—especially in times of increasing social tensions.
This year’s Cup was intended to serve as a symbol of encounter, remembrance, and solidarity.What has been your experience of the antisemitic hostility directed at the Israeli guests and Jewish children at the tournament and what impact does that have on your work?
The antisemitic hostility directed at our Israeli guests and Jewish children has affected us deeply. It is particularly distressing when young people are confronted with hatred or exclusion simply because they want to participate in a sports tournament and be part of a community.
These incidents show that antisemitism sadly continues to be a reality in Germany. At the same time, they reinforce the commitment of the Jewish Community of Düsseldorf to education, dialog, and fostering encounters. Projects such as the Ilan Fiorentino Cup are more important than ever, because they bring people together and create opportunities for personal connection. We do not let such experiences discourage us. Instead, we see them as a mandate to continue building bridges, making Jewish life visible, and actively advocating for a togetherness based on respect.The immense solidarity shown by many participants, guests, and partners proved to us that hate does not represent the majority.
Despite these experiences, you bring people of diverse backgrounds and perspectives together on the football pitch. In your opinion, what role can sport play in breaking down prejudices and strengthening social cohesion?
Sport has a unique power to connect people. On the football pitch, what counts is not a person’s background, religion, or political views, but team spirit, fairness, and a shared goal. There, people meet on equal terms and get to know each other as fellow players – not as a representative of a group or a prejudice.
That is precisely why sport can make an important contribution to social cohesion. Shared experiences build trust, respect, and mutual understanding. Many prejudices develop where people have no personal contact with one another. Sport creates these encounters and provides experiences that often have a more lasting impact than any debate.
The Ilan Fiorentino Cup aims to foster precisely that: encounter, dialog, and the realization that we often have more in common than what divides us. As the Jewish Community of Düsseldorf, we would like to use such projects to help ensure that people talk with one another rather than about one another, and that social cohesion becomes tangibly experienced.
