Borussia Dortmund have handed a stark warning to midfielder Felix Nmecha, insisting he must “clarify” any posts with the club moving forward, after he caused online controversy following the death of Charlie Kirk.
Mr Kirk was a political commentator who was shot and killed during an open debate at Utah University earlier this month.
He was assassinated while talking about gun control in front of a large number of university students, with a two-day manhunt ensuing that resulted in the alleged shooter, Tyler Robinson, being charged with his murder.
At the time, Nmecha posted a black-and-white picture of the father-of-two, along with the caption: "Rest in peace with the Lord. Such a sad day. May the Lord be with the Kirk family.
"Jesus is the way, the truth and the life. Celebrating the murder of a father of two and husband, a man who peacefully stood up for his beliefs and values, is truly evil and shows how much we really need Jesus Christ.
"May God show mercy and open your eyes and hearts in Jesus' name."
Borussia Dortmund have handed a stark warning to midfielder Felix Nmecha, insisting he must “clarify” any posts with the club, after he caused online controversy following the death of Charlie Kirk
|GETTY
The post sparked controversy throughout some spaces in Nmecha’s native Germany, resulting in a stern conversation and internal investigation by Dortmund officials, including managing director Lars Ricken and sporting director Sebastian Kehl.
Upon hearing of the internal investigation, X chief Elon Musk reacted in a shocked manner, exclaiming: "Shame on this football team!"
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Shame on this football team!
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) September 14, 2025
The result of the meeting, according to reports, is that the 24-year-old has now been instructed to “clarify his digital messages with BVB in advance" - in other words, he requires approval before posting any politically-motivated online content.
Nmecha clarified his original post, saying: "My idea was to express condolences to the grieving family and send the message that hate and violence are never a solution.
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"I, too, disagree with many of the things Charlie Kirk stood for. But let's remember a human being was murdered in front of his wife and two young children. I believe that expressing compassion is human and should not be judged."
The former Manchester City man’s comments on Mr Kirk are not the first that have sparked online controversy.
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Felix Nmecha is understood to be deeply Christian and demanded: 'expressing compassion is human and should not be judged'
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During his £26million move from Wolfsburg to Dortmund in the summer of 2023, BVB fans criticised the club for purchasing a player who had shared and liked homophobic posts in the past.
"I am a Christian, of course, but I love all people,” Nmecha retorted in a statement at the time. “I don't discriminate. I hope the fans will give me the chance to get to know each other and see that I am, hopefully, a great person."
He told Sky Sports: "How people interpret different things. My goal is to love people and share the truth. I don't think I'm homophobic or transphobic, not even close."
The German international is said to have an “Instagram clause” in his contract at the Signal Iduna Park, which could see him fined up to €1m euros if he is deemed to violate Dortmund’s strict social media policy.
Since his move, Nmecha has scored 10 times in his 76 appearances for Niko Kovac’s side, scoring twice already this season.
The German scored from a long-range strike in the Champions League last week during Dortmund’s thrilling 4-4 draw at Juventus.
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