More and more women in football are criticizing Karl-Heinz Rummenigge for defending the sexual assault by Spain’s federation president Luis Rubiales against Jennifer Hermoso. The DFB does not comment on its committee member.
National team captain Alexandra Popp sharply criticized Rummenigge’s statements. “I just shook my head“, Popp said on the NDR talk show “DAS!”. “The fact that something like this comes from the German squad shocks me, really shocks me.“
Popp be from the pictures”very scared” been. “To undermine a woman like that in front of billions of eyes is just brutal. I think we’re now in a century where something like that shouldn’t be easy, especially in positions like this” said the striker from VfL Wolfsburg.
Germany’s captain Alexandra Popp
The Spanish association president Luis Rubiales kissed the player Jennifer Hermoso on the mouth after winning the World Cup final. Rubiales emphasizes that this was done by mutual agreement, while Hermoso said several times that this was not the case. In the meantime, FIFA has suspended Rubiales for the time being, and the public prosecutor’s office in Madrid has also intervened. Rummenigge had expressed understanding for Rubiales’ behavior. “When you become world champion, you are emotional. And what he did there is – sorry, with all due respect – absolutely okay”, Rummenigge had said. In addition, emotionality is important in football, you should “Leave the church in the village”.
Ex-national player Peter: “Inappropriate and unacceptable”
Former German international Babett Peter also commented clearly on Rummenigge’s words. “Inappropriate, unnecessary and unacceptable for a man of his experience and in his role, which has held key roles in international football for decades.”said Peter of “Sport Bild”.
Former German national player Babett Peter
Rummenigge also stands for the club’s women’s team at FC Bayern. “The sign that he sent to his own players with his totally failed statement worries me.”said the 2007 world champion.
“Unacceptable” – grings on Rummenigge’s statement
With Inka Grings, another former national player commented on Rummenigge’s words on WDR 5. When asked if Rummenigge could get away with this statement, she said: “Absolutely not. That speaks with all due respect for such a character.” She finds such a statement unacceptable, said the Swiss national coach.
Sandra Schwedler, Chairwoman of the Supervisory Board of FC St. Pauli, mentioned Rummenigge’s words “devastating”. The statements would show “how dramatic the situation actually is, not having the ability to reflect at this point”.
And national goalkeeper Almuth Schult wrote in a guest article for the editorial network Germany in relation to a similar statement by Lothar Matthäus: “It’s a bit typical of the football bubble, where different standards often prevail and there’s often an impulse to support and protect your colleagues.”
Luis Rubiales, President of the Spanish Football Federation
DFB does not comment on the member of the task force National team
Karl-Heinz Rummenigge is not only a member of the FC Bayern Supervisory Board and the UEFA Executive Committee, on which Rubiales also sits. Rummenigge was appointed to the national team task force by DFB President Bernd Neuendorf after the men’s World Cup in Qatar.
Like Rummenigge, DFB President Bernd Neuendorf spoke at an event organized by “Sport Bild” last week. “I imagined you were in a similar situation: I don’t think I would have acted like that”, said Neuendorf of the German Press Agency. When asked by the sports show how he rated Rummenigge’s statement and whether he was even considering consequences, the DFB referred to the quote from Neuendorf.
DFB President Bernd Neuendorf: “I would have acted differently.”
Team council of the German team: “It’s sad”
But detailed words came from the DFB. The team council of the women’s national team – consisting of Alexandra Popp, Svenja Huth, Sara Däbritz, Lena Oberdorf, Lina Magull and Almuth Schult – made a clear statement. “Such behavior is unacceptable”it said in a statement on Rubiales’ forced kiss. “And it’s even more intolerable to downplay it. It’s sad that not everyone in the German football world is enlightened enough to be able to assess that.”
The last sentence is likely dedicated to Rummenigge and other men in German football who defended Rubiales. The statement was published by several national players on their private Instagram profiles. The DFB did not spread the message through its channels.
Lena Oberdorf is a member of the team council of the women’s national team
Ex-DFB President Grindel supports Rummenigge
Former DFB President Reinhard Grindel defended Rummenigge against criticism. “You have to see that Rummenigge is on the UEFA Executive Committee with Rubiales. And Rummenigge is a very loyal man. He’s decent, through and through. But he doesn’t want to publicly give the impression that he’s pushing something into someone“Grindel told the German Press Agency.
“I could imagine that he would put it differently today. But I see this statement more as an expression of loyalty to a colleague with whom he sits at the table than as a downplaying of the matter itself‘ Grindel said.
Reinhard Grindel protects Karl-Heinz Rummenigge.