Doha (dpa) – The new DFB President Bernd Neuendorf has announced a further positioning of the German Football Association on the human rights issue in Qatar.
“I said before my election that I was critical of the award from a human rights perspective, from a sustainability perspective,” said Neuendorf (60) in an interview with the ZDF “Sports Studio” in Doha. Now it’s a matter of “holding talks here with human rights organizations, including the embassy and other representatives who are relevant to these things.”
The talks in Qatar, where the FIFA Congress took place on Thursday and the group draw for the 2022 World Cup on Friday, are “my first step,” said Neuendorf. “The fact that I collect a wealth of information will certainly lead to a result.” Then the association could position itself “seriously and well”. Neuendorf had already emphasized at the beginning of his stay in Qatar that he wanted to make an impression himself.
Bierhoff wants to hold talks
DFB director Oliver Bierhoff said after the draw that the national team would also hold further talks. Human rights organizations visited the DFB selection at the team headquarters near Frankfurt/Main last week to find out about the situation in Qatar. Discussion rounds are planned for the summer, said Bierhoff. “Not only with human rights organizations, but with people from different areas, including people who have worked here in order to have very authentic reports and to get a picture of how this country works.”
The World Cup host has been criticized for the human rights situation and the conditions for foreign workers since it was awarded at the end of 2010. The focus was and is on the so-called kafala system, which has been officially abolished in Qatar and which practically robs workers from abroad of all their rights. The government repeatedly refers to numerous reforms – especially in the area of workers’ rights. Violations of the new laws would be rigorously pursued, according to the emirate.