Former DFL Managing Director Andreas Rettig sees an opportunity to set an example with low ratings for the broadcasts of the World Cup in Qatar.
“The pressure – no matter how small – to vote via the remote control can make a difference,” the “Express” quoted the 59-year-old as saying.
The long-time Bundesliga manager supports those who refuse to hold the World Cup in Germany: “In Germany we are not alone in our attitude of refusal. And it shows that FIFA cannot take the fans for fools. People reflect on everything that is going wrong there .”
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So far, the ratings of the broadcasting public TV stations ARD and ZDF have fallen well short of expectations.
Ex-DFL boss on the consequences of the World Cup boycott: “It’s the only hard currency”
The 1:2 defeat of the German national team in the first World Cup game against Japan did not even reach a double-digit million rating in the ARD.
“All the negative side effects on and off the pitch mean that the TV ratings are so disastrous. That’s the only hard currency, coupled with actions like the premature end of Rewe sponsorship, that can make a difference,” emphasized Rettig.
The DFB sponsor REWE had prematurely terminated its contractual agreement with the German Football Association in protest against the world association FIFA in the cause of the “One Love” armband.
Rettig hopes that there will be a rethink in the long term. “My wish is to make it impossible for those responsible at FIFA to make such an insane decision again in the future. They are mainly concerned with maintaining power and money,” he said.
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