Fifa World Cup: Germany ‘prepared’ to take fine for multicoloured armband in Qatar
- Goalkeeper Bernd Neuer and several other European team captains plan to wear a multicoloured One Love armband at the tournament to support diversity
- ‘This is not a political statement, but a statement for human rights,’ said German football federation president Bernd Neuendorf
German football federation (DFB) president Bernd Neuendorf said he is “prepared” to accept a possible fine when keeper Manuel Neuer wears the multicoloured One Love armband during the World Cup in Qatar.
“Personally, I would be quite prepared to accept a fine,” Neuendorf said on Friday. “This is not a political statement, but a statement for human rights.”
Goalkeeper Neuer and several other European team captains plan to wear a multicoloured One Love armband at the tournament to support diversity. It is still unclear whether football governing body Fifa will issue fines for the action.
Neuendorf said the action stands “against racism, against anti-Semitism, for women’s rights and human rights in general.”
Since it was awarded the right to host a World Cup, Qatar has been widely criticised due to the human rights conditions in the country and its handling of the lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans and queer (LGBT) community.
Neuendorf did not rule out further actions from the German players during the tournament.
On the pitch, he is “firmly convinced” Germany can win their opening match against Japan on November 23. “We have the best prerequisites,” he said.
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The German government’s queer commissioner, Sven Lehmann, said in Berlin later on Friday that Qatar is the “completely wrong host country.”
“The fact that this World Cup was awarded to Qatar at all was a huge mistake,” Lehmann said, adding that the whole World Cup was degenerating into a farce, referring to reports on serious human rights violations and the treatment of homosexuals in Qatar.
He went on to say that there was no great euphoria in German society either. More and more people, but also cities, communities and pubs would boycott the broadcasting of the World Cup matches. “I personally find that very, very understandable,” Lehmann explained.
“And I think that this World Cup must not be a success for Qatar – and not for Fifa either.” He said that in recent years the world football governing body had been “much more interested” in serving alcohol in stadiums than in protecting the rights of minorities, workers and women there.
Lehmann also referred to recent statements by former Qatar international and World Cup ambassador Khalid Salman. Salman said in a documentary for German public broadcaster that being gay was forbidden in Qatar because it was a “spiritual harm”. The phrase in German can also mean “mental damage”.
Lehmann stressed that, from his point of view, queer people are not safe in the emirate.
When asked what he expected from Interior Minister Nancy Faeser and other members of the German government with regard to support for the World Cup, Lehmann expressed confidence. He said he was very, very sure that Faeser would “find the right way” in dealing with Qatar.
Lehmann has been the federal government commissioner for the acceptance of sexual and gender diversity since the beginning of the year and is also personally committed to the protection of queer people.
On Friday, he presented a national action plan in Berlin with which the federal government wants to significantly strengthen the rights of this group in the coming years.
