CEO Oliver Kahn from FC Bayern sees the main blame for the conflict over the “One Love” captain’s armband at the World Cup in Qatar with the world association FIFA.
“‘One Love’ was presented and explained many weeks ago. FIFA could have contacted the national associations much earlier. It is a mistake that there was apparently no dialogue on this subject,” said the former international goalkeeper to “Bild “.
The 53-year-old said he wished “that the anger about the decision is not taken out on the players”.
On Monday there was a scandal about the bandage. This will not be used at the World Cup. The German national team captain Manuel Neuer will not wear them either.
FIFA threatens sporting sanctions
FIFA had previously threatened the associations with sporting sanctions. DFB President Bernd Neuendorf spoke of a “demonstration of power” by the world association and a “further low blow”.
“The threat of sporting consequences was clear,” added the DFB boss, who rejected criticism of his association. “We stand by our values and will continue to represent them during the tournament,” said Neuendorf. It is “an unprecedented event in the history of the World Cup”.
“Censorship” accusation by the DFB
The 61-year-old stressed: “We will not carry out the confrontation brought about by FIFA on the back of Manuel Neuer.”
DFB director Oliver Bierhoff accused FIFA of “censorship” in his statement on the subject. The ban is also frustrating for the players. “It’s also a difficult situation for Manuel,” said the 1996 European champion.
Germany will start the tournament on Wednesday (2:00 p.m.) with the first group game against Japan. This will be followed by the duels with Spain on November 27th and Costa Rica on December 1st (each at 8:00 p.m.).