In a letter to the World Cup participants, FIFA asked them to concentrate on football from now on when it comes to Qatar. The answer, also from Germany, was not long in coming.
The protest against the 2022 World Cup in Qatar and its circumstances is visibly increasing in the German fan curves – and the associations also do not want to be dictated by FIFA to only talk about football.
The German Football Association published a statement that had previously been coordinated with nine other European associations. It said: “We will continue to support momentum for positive, progressive change and remain committed to achieving a compelling outcome on the two crucial and open issues that we have been discussing with FIFA for a long time.”
FIFA calls for focus on sport
FIFA had sent out a letter this week stating: “We know that football does not live in a vacuum and we are also aware that there are many challenges and difficulties of a political nature all over the world. But please do not allow football to be drawn into any ideological or political struggle becomes that there is.” Both the DFB and the world association had confirmed that such a letter existed.
Compensation fund and guest worker center
In addition to Germany, associations from Belgium, Denmark, England, Norway, Portugal, Sweden, Wales, Switzerland and the Netherlands were also involved in the response, which contained no clear criticism of FIFA and the much-discussed letter. Specifically, the two topics are about a compensation fund for guest workers and the concept of a guest worker center to be set up in Doha.
The associations welcomed Qatar’s progress with regard to the rights of guest workers and the promises made that all fans – including those from the LGBTIQ+ community – would be safe at the World Cup. They also agree with FIFA that diversity is a strength. “However, commitment and advocacy for diversity and tolerance also means supporting human rights. Human rights are universal and applicable everywhere.”it was said.
Clear fan protests on the 13th matchday
That’s not enough for the fans in Germany. In their curves they openly call for a boycott of the world’s largest football tournament. “15,000 deaths for 5,760 minutes of football! Shame on you”, could be read on banners in the Berlin Olympic Stadium. The Dortmund fans also called for a boycott in huge black letters on a yellow banner that filled the entire stand.
The World Cup in the emirate has long been criticized for human rights violations and the treatment of workers from other countries. Fatal accidents have also occurred on construction sites in the past. The emirate’s government refers to its own reforms and rejects some of the criticism.
DFB President Bernd Neuendorf and Federal Minister of the Interior Nancy Faeser (SPD), who had only traveled to Qatar this week, questioned a television boycott. They wanted to leave it up to everyone to decide whether to watch games on television, both explained in a joint interview with “Welt am Sonntag”. “A television boycott does nothing at all”said Faeser and asked: “Isn’t the soccer World Cup something for many people in front of the TV that they also want to enjoy?” Faeser himself announced that he would travel to Qatar again for the first German World Cup game on November 23 against Japan.