Oliver Bierhoff, a former striker for Germany who is now the team’s director, expressed his displeasure with the decision to give the World Cup to Qatar and claimed that Fifa failed to take human rights breaches into consideration.
In November, the tournament will begin, and national teams are anticipated to protest the country’s human rights record, particularly how Qatar treats migrant workers and the LGBT+ population.
Amnesty International and other organizations have criticized Fifa for failing “to put in place proper measures” to stop the issues since it was given the tournament in 2010.
Following the presentation of an investigative documentary in Germany, in which one homosexual interviewee described living in terror of Qatar’s LGBT+ legislation and attitudes, Bierhoff was questioned particularly about the LGBT+ community. His response: “How could FIFA award [the World Cup] to this country?”
The 54-year-old acknowledged that Fifa had a duty to bring the World Cup outside of established football hotbeds like Europe and South America, but said that “economic interests” took precedence when Qatar was chosen to host the event.
“On the one hand, I’ve always asked myself, “Who is football for? Does it belong to the entire world, Europe, South America, or neither? Biehoff tacked on. “However, times have changed. The requirements and expectations of the public have changed. That must also be taken into account.
Even though there are only a few months left until the World Cup begins, England captain Harry Kane claims he has spoken with the captains of competing teams about having a united approach. However, the FA has not yet decided what it will do.
I’ve spoken to a few of the other players on the team and a few of the other guys from other European nations, Kane added. We will inform everyone once we have made a decision on that, but the discussion is still in progress and nothing has been decided. But having the dialogue about what we want to achieve in the run-up to and during the World Cup is essential.