Should you watch the World Cup in Qatar at all? And if so, then only under protest? Should the players demonstrate against the World Cup, before kick-off or even during the game? Many football fans grappled with these and similar points before and during the World Cup – and forgot to support the national team, according to Bundesliga coach Steffen Baumgart.
In an interview with the “Kölnische Rundschau”, the head coach of 1. FC Köln said he missed the cohesion in Germany at this tournament: “I’ve never seen a country stand behind its national team as little as ours does case. It’s very sad and makes me think.”
Baumgart also has a clear opinion on the second point, the discussions about the political stance. In principle, athletes should adopt an attitude. But at the World Cup there was too much talk about politics: “We should stop exploiting players. We athletes shouldn’t let ourselves be pulled in front of the cart.” Germany had initially planned to wear a special bandage in the games. After FIFA threatened severe sanctions, the national team covered their mouths before the first game.
However, he does not want to blame the political discussions alone for the sporting failure. The level of sport throughout the world has now made significant progress, Europe is no longer the center of the football world: “It should be recognized that people are now training and playing well all over the world,” said Baumgart in an interview.
