Tottenham’s LGBTQ+ flag relocated after Slavia Prague request on ‘security grounds’ – The Athletic
The progress pride flag, the symbol of the LGBTQ+ community, on display at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium has been relocated for Tuesday’s Champions League tie against Slavia Prague following a request from the visiting club.
The large flag is usually situated in the North-East corner of the Spurs ground where visiting supporters are located. The Czech club made the request for its removal to UEFA on the basis of security concerns and this was granted by Spurs on safety grounds. It will instead be displayed in the South-West corner of the stadium.
Neither Spurs nor Slavia has explained what the safety issues of displaying the progress flag would be.
Spurs communicated the decision with the club’s LGBTQ+ supporter group, the Proud Lilywhites, who subsequently informed its members, in a statement seen by The Athletic.
The Proud Lilywhites expressed its frustration with the decision, writing: “You don’t get to come to our house and dictate what’s acceptable, let alone kick off about a flag that represents our own community. But here we are.
“We wanted you to hear it directly from us. We wanted to be sure that you know that this is an opposition team request and no reflection of the club’s commitment to the Proud Lilywhites.”
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According to multiple people familiar with the conversations, all of whom wished to remain anonymous as they were not authorised to speak on the matter, Slavia Prague raised that the Tottenham logo is visible on the Pride banner which is present at every Spurs home game and argued this could offend their supporters. The Proud Lilywhites said Slavia had indicated that “supporters may damage the flag and cause disorder if it remains in its usual location”.
Spurs sources, speaking on the condition of anonymity to protect relationships, indicated the club had made known their desire to keep the flag in its usual place but reluctantly accepted after being made aware of the safety issues.
“The flag has been relocated at the request of the visiting team to UEFA on security grounds,” a Tottenham spokesperson said.
A Slavia Prague spokesperson said: “The flag with Tottenham symbols would have been placed directly in the section reserved for our fans at that moment. For this reason, it was temporarily moved in another place in the stadium and with an agreement with the home club. This is a logical step based on respect for the space reserved for visiting fans, just as Slavia fans outside the visiting section respect the rules of not wearing our club colours or symbols.”
UEFA has been approached for formal comment but UEFA sources, who spoke anonymously as they were not authorised to speak publicly on the matter, insisted it is the home team, in this case Spurs, who have the final call on such decisions.
The Proud Lilywhites published a second statement on Tuesday, expressing its thanks to the club for their handling of the situation and insisting:
“We won’t let tonight’s decision become anything more than a one-off.”
“Let’s be honest about what this means,” the statement read. “The risk here isn’t the flag. It’s the reaction of a small number of opposition supporters. That’s disappointing, and it’s another reminder of the hostility LGBTQI+ fans still face across European football.
“We also want to be clear that the club has handled this appropriately. They’ve been transparent with us throughout, pushed back where they could, and made sure this sits firmly as a request from the visiting club rather than a decision rooted in Spurs’ own values.
“We hear the frustration from many of you. LGBTQI+ fans should not be the ones making adjustments because others may react badly to our visibility. That’s the uncomfortable reality of this moment, and why visibility still matters so much.”
The statement continued: “We also hear what many of you are saying: the safety risk here comes from prejudice, not Pride.
For tonight, the flag will still fly. It will still be seen. And our message remains the same. This is our home. Our community belongs here. No visiting team gets to change that.”
Slavia Prague has frequently faced sanctions from UEFA for supporter behaviour during European fixtures. In April 2024 they were fined following crowd violence during their Europa League tie against Milan, and in February were fined and ordered to close sections of their stadium following racist behaviour from fans against Anderlecht in the Europa League.
The Czech Republic does not recognise same-sex marriage. A law change bringing in civil unions for same-sex couples with the same rights as marriage, without adoption, was brought in in 2025. Civil unions for same-sex couples with differing rights to marriage had been legal since 2006.
