The qualification of the German national team for the 2022 World Cup makes soccer fans cheer. But Qatar as a venue is a thorn in the side of many – including a large number of t-online readers.
There was already criticism when the World Cup was awarded to Qatar eleven years ago. Now the year 2022 is getting closer and closer and the resistance against the controversial venue is getting louder and louder. On Monday, Germany became the first national team to qualify for the tournament. T-online took this as an opportunity to ask you how you feel on the subject.
We received a lot of letters, most of which are in favor of a boycott of the major sporting event. Below we present a selection of controversial opinions:
“You can’t look away”
“Basically, I see it that sport should be apolitical,” writes t-online reader Steffi Reichelt. “But with the prevailing working conditions there during the construction of the stadiums and the obvious human rights violations, I think you can’t look the other way,” she objects.
She also notes: “Even in view of the global debate about climate change and environmental protection, I find building air-conditioned stadiums to be absurd when the most modern stadiums are available around the world. Here again, money is literally being thrown into the sand in the name of football and sponsors set ‘, which one could certainly have used more sensibly elsewhere. Market expansion for large corporations is once again more important than environmental protection and human rights “, is Steffi Reichelt’s critical conclusion.
“The DFB has to take care of the sport”
An anonymous person sees it completely differently t-online readers, who responded to our call to the readers: “The DFB is a sports association and has to take care of the sport – no more, no less. It is neither a builder in Qatar nor anything else. It only uses the stadium,” he writes .
“Boycott this World Cup, in the name of humanism”
t-online reader Albert Moser has no sympathy for such views. “At 68 I am an older football fan, but I find Fifa’s practice of awarding the World Cup to totalitarian states – to put it simply – impossible,” he says very clearly Owning the World Cup, which has nothing to do with football. Then there are the tropical temperatures. The worst is the human rights situation of the foreign construction workers employed there, who have to build the sites under inhuman and inhumane conditions. questionable or nonexistent safety standards on the construction sites (many dead and accident victims) and the non-payment of several months’ wages – everything is documented and documented by the various press associations and the international trade union movements. ” Albert Moser’s verdict is: “Every footballer from all over the world should boycott this World Cup in the name of humanism and human rights.”
“A World Cup boycott will not do anything”
“Problems have to be tackled at their roots. A World Cup boycott will not change the slightest thing,” thinks t-online reader Ilona Walter. “Rather, it must be ensured that the roots of oppression cannot take root any further or deeper.”
She also writes: “A lot of people enjoy sports. But I think that sport has nothing to do with politics.” In her opinion, the country needs new laws and must be redesigned – “with fresh and modern new plants that do not destroy their roots and bring harm and oppression”.
“Disgusts me that so many are wronged”
Take a different opinion t-online reader Karin Marikka: “It was not right from the start to commission such a country with the organization. Similar awards of other sporting events have shown that these countries only want to upgrade themselves and their regimes. It never helps to improve the local situation. Neither the residents and the labor have an advantage. In Russia people have been driven out and expropriated. In Qatar people are kept like slaves and ruthlessly killed on construction sites due to poor working conditions or their wages cheated. But there is bribery and corruption in the organizing organizations themselves It is common to ignore these blatant human rights violations, “she criticizes.
Karin Marikka also wants to get rid of: “I don’t understand the visitors and the athletes who simply overlook this and claim that the sport and the athletes are not political. I don’t even watch these events on TV anymore because I am disgusted by so many Injustice happens to people and then you let yourself be celebrated. “
“You shouldn’t instrumentalize sport politically”
t-online reader Heinrich Schlueter however, speaks out in favor of the national team staying at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar and cites two points. Firstly, he thinks that sport and politics should not be mixed up: “Sport should not be instrumentalized politically – neither at the Olympics, at the World Cup, nor anywhere else!” His second argument is: “A World Cup in Qatar offers many opportunities to report on the country – including grievances. In my opinion, that does more than just relocate the World Cup to another country.
“If the price is right, the next World Cup will be held at the South Pole”
Many of our readers are bothered by the fact that money plays a (too) important role in sport – and especially in football. So too t-online reader Hans-Joachim Kuhlmannwho mockingly remarks: “If the price is right, the next World Cup will be held at the South Pole.”
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