Apparently not everyone felt like protesting…
At the World Cup in Qatar, our DFB boys had to give up again after the preliminary round. After 2018, the national team already left second time in a row in the group stage.
In addition to the weak sporting performance, the tie debate in particular caused a stir off the pitch. Before the tournament, the DFB had agreed with six other associations to wear the “OneLove” armband at the tournament.
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Shortly before the start of the World Cup, however, FIFA threatened sporting sanctions if the bandage was actually worn on the pitch. The associations buckled, and finally the national team demonstrated on the team photo by the players covering their mouths.
Apparently, a large part of the team was not in the mood for the gesture at all!
This is reported by the ARD. According to information from the broadcaster, only Captain Manuel Neuer (36) and Leon Goretzka (27) spoke out in favor of the campaign. The rest, like the other nations, would not have wanted to do anything.
In the end, they agreed on word-of-mouth protests within the team as the lowest common denominator.
In the 1000th game Messi had to wait a long time for this goal
BILD can confirm: Neuer and Goretzka were actually the driving forces behind the discussions and also suggested different gestures. Other players are said to have opposed doing anything at all.
When the mouth-to-mouth gesture was decided, players like Joshua Kimmich (27) were also behind it. Others viewed the discussion and the associated distraction rather critically.
For ARD expert Thomas Hitzlsperger (40), the protest and the constant debate about political issues played a not inconsiderable role in leaving.
He judges: “I think the players had to deal with it too much in the end and it wasn’t beneficial. But you also have to say that no player has ever used it as an alibi and I thought that was very, very good.”
And further: “We – and of course I’m including myself – or the association can’t ask the team to do it now, of course. It won’t work anymore. We really got kicked in the face for that.”
After the World Cup, the desire for political action within the team is unlikely to have increased …
