Uli Hoeneß accused the German Football Association of a lack of courage in the dispute with Fifa. “They didn’t have the courage to stand up to Fifa. That would have been urgently needed, because for me Gianni Infantino is a major disaster for world football,” said FC Bayern’s honorary president “RTL Direkt” and the “RTL Nachtjournal special”. It was “a wonderful opportunity to show him: up to here and no further,” said Hoeneß. Unfortunately, the DFB missed this.
At the World Cup in Qatar, Fifa banned the “One Love” captain’s armband from national goalkeeper Manuel Neuer and six other European team captains. Instead, Neuer wore the “No Discrimination” bandage specified by Fifa against Japan, which is intended to stand against discrimination of any kind. The world association had threatened sporting sanctions in the event that the multicolored “One Love” captain’s armband was worn at the World Cup games.
Hoeneß would have wished for more determination from the DFB leadership. “She leaned too far out of the window with the announcement that she would be consistent, that she would consistently pursue the issue. And in the end they didn’t do that,” Hoeneß complained. In the team photo before the 2-1 draw against Japan on Wednesday, the DFB professionals held their hands over their mouths in response to the ban on the “One Love” captain’s armband.
The former Bayern boss had already expressed his fears on Wednesday that the World Cup in Qatar would have a negative impact on the future development of football just a few days after the start of the tournament. “The World Cup, as it is currently presented, will definitely not be a success, that’s already clear, and it will definitely damage football as a whole,” said Hoeneß “RTL Direkt” and the “RTL Nachtjournal spezial”.
The 70-year-old’s main concern is that the lack of fan interest in the tournament in Qatar could dampen enthusiasm for football overall. “If you look at the ratings, if you see people’s enthusiasm for this World Cup, you can see the damage,” said the 70-year-old. The audience ratings for the broadcasts of the tournament were significantly lower in the first few days than four years ago at the World Cup in Russia. There are also fewer fans from Germany at the tournament.
According to Hoeneß, a boycott or early departure from the tournament is the wrong way to go, despite the ongoing criticism of hosts Qatar. “For years you have had enough time to speak up and exercise the power to do so. I don’t think the European federations have realized the power they really have,” he said. Qatar is accused of human rights violations, among other things.
