What social responsibility does the Lao national team have? Shortly before the World Cup in Qatar, the focus is on the captain’s armband, which seems to be based on the rainbow flag. Is it enough as a symbol? DFB director Bierhoff fears that “the balance of the law”.
Two months before Germany’s first World Cup game against Japan, the debate about the appropriate attitude towards the tournament in Qatar continues. The focus of the current criticism is the captain’s armband, intended as a symbol for the DFB team and other major football countries such as England, France or the Netherlands, with a color pattern similar to the rainbow flag. Celebrities like Manuel Neuer, England midfielder Harry Kane or France’s World Cup goalkeeper Hugo Lloris want to wear Qatar as a visible symbol on their upper arm.
“To me, this idea seems like a bad attempt not to advance anyone – neither the Pride movement nor the organization of the World Cup. But human rights are non-negotiable,” Bijan Djir-Saai, FDP Secretary General of the German Press Agency, told the German news agency on Friday. Djir-Sarai warned, “If you want to stand credibly against discrimination and human rights and diversity, you should have the necessary backbone.”
Currently, the legal situation is the focus of criticism
The representative of the fans Dario Minden also criticized strongly. “It looks weak. It’s not even the Pride flag, it has other colors on it. If it’s the only thing that comes from the attitude from the DFB, it would be a shame to the disaster. I expect from the DFB and I still think there will be more, the representative of the fan organization “Our Curve” with “Tagesspiegel”.
Mr. Minden became the target of critics of Qatar after his verbal confrontation with the ambassador. The Qatari ambassador to Germany at the DFB meeting last Monday. “I had sex with another man. That is normal. Get used to it or quit football,” Minden said to diplomats on stage and received a lot of praise online.
The legal situation for members of the LGBTIQ* community in Qatar is currently the focus of criticism – even more so than the situation for workers. To date, representatives of the LGBTIQ* community have advised on travel to Qatar. The English acronym stands for lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans people, intersex and queer people. Asterisks are additional markers of identity and gender.
Hansi Flick: “It’s about the fact that we are the same”
The national players are facing the topic of action every day in the context of the current international competition in the Nations League with Hungary and England. Not an easy situation to resolve, as Hansi Flick said. “It’s easy to criticize when you sit somewhere and don’t make a decision,” said the national team coach before the Hungary game in Leipzig.
“The point now is that it’s not just the colors of the rainbow, but all of them. It means everyone, everyone who is sitting here, who is in the world. That’s what it’s about, that we are the same,” Flick argued.
So all the fuss is just a misunderstanding? According to the DFB, the bandage should not represent the entire rainbow. Instead, the message of ‘One Love Bracelet’ should be directed at any form of discrimination.
“Red, black and green are found in the Pan-African flag, pink, yellow and blue are symbols of the Pansexual flag. The DFB said on Friday that the countries participating in the ‘Bracelet’ campaign “One Love” wants to send a positive message to diversity in all forms. The Dutch have used the logo for a long time and have proposed to their European colleagues to share it.
Association meeting on the situation of human rights in Qatar
The national players were aware of the Qatar problem by the DFB in several meetings. “It won’t be the only action we see. We try to do our part. To watch only from a distance would be a worse evil,” said Jonas Hofmann from Gladbach at the presentation of the captain’s armband with the symbol “One Love”. Professional 30 years reacted calmly to the criticism of color nuances. “A few colors of the rainbow in there. Everyone knows what that means,” Hofmann said.
At the beginning of the week at the association conference on the human rights situation in Qatar, the director of the DFB Oliver Bierhoff informed the conflict for football professionals between sports and social expectations. “We have to be careful to find this balance between responsibility and awareness that we are human. On the other hand, we come across as German national football players. We represent our country, we want to play football successfully,” said the 54-year-old.
National player Nico Schlotterbeck does not see football as the first thing to do. “In my opinion, we players can’t have much influence, it’s mainly for officials and politics. We sportsmen don’t reward Qatar’s tournament,” the 22-year-old told the network. German editor. The player’s task is to achieve maximum success in the World Cup. Football must be there for everyone and open to everyone. “He stands for diversity,” said the Borussia Dortmund defender.