Iran’s internationals have refrained from making another silent statement. Before the second World Cup game against Wales, the eleven players on the pitch sang along with the national anthem, albeit reluctantly. Numerous fans were again seen in the stands with signs bearing protest messages. A supporter with his country’s flag wept bitterly during the anthem.
At the start of the World Cup against England, the players were silent during the anthem. Iranian activists saw it as a gesture of support for the nationwide protests against the authoritarian government in the country. Iranian state television interrupted the transmission. In the past few days, there have been reports of the threat of drastic sanctions and increased pressure on professionals from the government.
The players are aware of possible consequences in their home country. At the same time, many supporters of the protest movement had sharply criticized Iran’s Team Melli in recent weeks. In particular, a photo with President Ebrahim Raisi in a relaxed mood caused outrage shortly before departure. The critics complained that the action on the field was too late and too small.
11:39 am: Lewandowski remains Poland’s penalty taker
World footballer Robert Lewandowski remains Poland’s first penalty taker after his missed shot from the point in the 0-0 win against Mexico. “Robert is still number 1. He makes the decision whether to shoot or leave it to someone else,” said coach Czeslaw Michniewicz at a press conference before the second tournament game on Saturday (2 p.m. / ARD and MagentaTV) against Saudi Arabia.
Lewandowski missed a penalty against the Mexicans. It was only the second missed shot by the 34-year-old in the national jersey. After the 0-0 draw against the Latin Americans, the starting position of the Poles is not bad thanks to Saudi Arabia’s 2-1 win over Argentina. With a win, the team around Bundesliga players Robert Gumny (FC Augsburg) and Jakub Kaminski (VfL Wolfsburg) would at least temporarily take the top spot in Group C. “We feel good after the game against Mexico. We know what we can and must do better, but also what we have done well. We’re totally calm,” said Michniewicz.
10:55 a.m .: DFB replaces Rewe with the “One Love” logo
The German Football Association has reacted to the separation from sponsor Rewe. The association has removed the grocer’s logo at the Al Shamal training center in Qatar. Instead, the “One Love” logo can now be seen behind the players and those responsible in interviews and press conferences.
“Due to a partner’s decision to forgo advertising six weeks before the actual end of the contract, the DFB was given the opportunity to express its position with the “One Love” message at the almost daily press conferences in Qatar,” said the DFB the BILD with.
The “One Love” logo will be present in the German team quarters with immediate effect
Source: dpa/Bruno Fahy
Rewe ended its cooperation with the DFB after the association, under pressure from Fifa, decided against wearing a “One Love” bandage in the game against Japan (1:2). The contract would have expired at the end of the year anyway. All other sponsors had continued their cooperation with the association. Interior Minister Nancy Faeser wore the bandage in the stands at the Japan game.
10:42 am: Coman misses training
Next short moment of shock for FC Bayern Munich: According to media reports, the Frenchman Kingsley Coman did not take part in the secret training of the French after a short warm-up phase on Thursday evening. The winger, who came on as a substitute in the 4-1 win against Australia, shouldn’t be dealing with acute problems, but with stress control because of persistent adductor problems. It is expected that he can be in the squad for the second group game against Denmark on Saturday (5:00 p.m. CET/ARD and MagentaTV).
Kingsley Coman missed large parts of Thursday’s training session
Quelle: Getty Images/Christopher Lee
French media are also reporting that Bayern player Benjamin Pavard could lose his place at right-back for the game against Denmark. National coach Didier Deschamps did not agree with his tactical performance against Australia, and front man Ousmane Dembélé complained about a lack of support. Deschamps did not comment specifically on this. “We allowed four chances against Australia. You can say that’s four too many,” he replied to a journalist at the press conference: “You can also speculate about whether we need to change something on the left or the right. I make my decision.”
9:45 a.m.: Large crowds at metro stations
The Emirate of Qatar has expanded its infrastructure for billions in order to be prepared for the World Cup. Nevertheless, the modern subway network was repeatedly overwhelmed during the tournament at peak times. On Thursday evening, the metro station at Suk Wakif, the popular old town district of the capital Doha, was temporarily closed due to the rush. Football fans had to wait an hour or more to get on the train. The rush in the metro was also so great because at the same time supporters from Stadium 974 were on their way back after Portugal’s game against Ghana.
The situation was similar on Wednesday evening at the metro station next to the fan festival with a big screen on Doha’s Corniche. This was also temporarily closed because too many people were out and about. Fans had to walk to the nearest stop – almost three kilometers away. Suk Wakif and Fan Fest are always very busy as they are one of the few places where football fans can get together.
9:24 a.m .: TV ratings continue to be weak
The live broadcast of Brazil’s victory is the third game of the World Cup to break the five million mark, but confirms the low level of TV viewer interest compared to previous tournaments. An average of 5.019 million people watched the Seleção’s 2-0 win against Serbia on ZDF on Thursday evening. According to the broadcaster, this resulted in a market share of 19.1. The game thus lagged behind the ratings winner “Der Flensburg-Krimi” on ARD with 5.903 million and 22.3 percent.
At the same time as the World Cup in Russia four years ago, there had already been several games with viewers of more than ten million. Telekom, which broadcasts all World Cup games in Qatar, does not publish any figures.
9:15 a.m .: Lahm criticizes Flick’s change
Philipp Lahm now sees the national team “brutally under pressure” after the 2-1 defeat against Japan, which he felt was unnecessary. “Now the boys are challenged who have experienced such or similar situations in their clubs umpteen times,” wrote the 39-year-old in his column for the editorial network Germany (RND) before the game against Spain on Sunday (8 p.m. / ZDF and Magenta TV).
In addition, the captain of the German world champion team from 2014 criticized the personnel decisions of national coach Hansi Flick. “I didn’t understand that,” said Lahm about the substitutions of Ilkay Gündogan, Thomas Müller and Jamal Musiala. “We actually had the game well under control for more than an hour, then the break came, also because of the substitutions, which I honestly couldn’t quite understand.” Especially when Takuma Asano conceded the second goal, Lahm accused the German defense of a lack of greed. “It was a series of mistakes, there was a lack of coordination,” said Lahm. “When I think of Jérôme Boateng or Benedikt Höwedes in 2014 – they had the greed to win every duel. That’s exactly what I missed in crucial situations.”
8:40 a.m.: Neymar reports
Brazil’s superstar Neymar has apparently not given up hope of a World Cup comeback. After his ankle injury in the 2-0 opening win against Serbia, the 30-year-old reported on Instagram with a philosophical post. “Have faith” was the title of the book page that the Paris Saint-Germain attacker posted on Friday night. “That’s believing that despite the chaos, everything will be fine. That is the certainty that the best is yet to come. It is the understanding that everything has its time,” it said, among other things.
7:17 a.m .: Ronaldo talks about leaving Manchester United
Superstar Cristiano Ronaldo quickly came to terms with his departure from record-breaking English champions Manchester United. “This week we closed the chapter. The rest doesn’t matter,” said the 37-year-old. United and the Portuguese international parted ways on Tuesday, two days before the start of the World Cup. This was preceded by an interview with the offensive player, in which he settled accounts with his teammates, among other things.
Cristiano Ronaldo has quickly digested his departure from Manchester United
Source: dpa/Tom Weller
Ronaldo can now use the World Cup as a stage when looking for a club. The start was already promising with the 3:2 against Ghana. Ronaldo scored the game’s first goal from the penalty spot, becoming the first footballer to score in five World Cups. His trainer Fernando Santos described him as a phenomenon and a legend: “In 50 years we will still be talking about him.”
6:01 a.m.: Hernandez successfully operated
Bayern professional Lucas Hernández underwent surgery after tearing his cruciate ligament in his right knee. The intervention was carried out by Prof. Christian Fink in Innsbruck, said the Bundesliga soccer club. The defender will start his rehabilitation in Munich in the next few days. Hernández (26) suffered the serious injury on Tuesday in the French national team’s opening game against Australia (4-1) and will be out for Bayern for a few months.
