The national football players Leon Goretzka and Manuel Neuer and sports director Hasan Salihamidzic from FC Bayern Munich have sharply criticized the homophobic statements made by a Qatari World Cup ambassador.
“That’s very oppressive, I have to say. It’s just an image of man from another millennium“Said Goretzka (27) after FC Bayern’s 6-1 win over Werder Bremen. “That’s not what we want to stand for and what we exemplify. It is absolutely unacceptable to make such a statement.“
Neuer’s club and national team colleague Neuer said something similar: “That doesn’t fit into our world view at all, it’s unacceptable and very sad,” said the goalkeeper. Salihamidzic also called the statements “simply unacceptable“.
The whirlwind was triggered by statements by Khalid Salman, who is one of the official ambassadors for the tournament, which begins on November 20 in Qatar. In a ZDF documentary, he said that being gay was forbidden because it was mentally harmful.
Qatar sponsorship under criticism
Asked whether such statements are the calculus of FC Bayern in terms of cooperation with Qatar Airways could influence, Salihamidzic was reluctant. “That is the testimony of one person. We have to talk about that, of course“, he said. “But that’s just a single person – and that’s unacceptable.”
The sponsorship relationship with Qatar is a controversial topic among Bayern fans. Those responsible for the club had stated that after the World Cup they wanted to decide whether to extend the cooperation until the summer of 2023. Banners clearly criticizing the statements made by the Qatar World Cup ambassador were displayed in the Bayern fan block during the game against Bremen.