Should countries like Germany boycott the World Cup in the USA? Is the behavior of US President Donald Trump still tolerable? St. Pauli club boss Oke Göttlich demands answers to this. In doing so, he primarily puts the DFB under pressure.
The DFB vice president and St. Pauli club boss Oke Göttlich is calling for at least a discussion about the boycott of the World Cup in the USA, Canada and Mexico because of the behavior of US President Donald Trump. “I’m really wondering when the time is right to think about it and talk about it in concrete terms. And for me, that time has definitely come,” said Göttlich in an interview with the “Hamburger Morgenpost”. “What were the reasons for the Olympic boycotts in the 1980s? In my opinion, the threat potential is greater now than it was back then. We have to have this discussion.”
The president of FC St. Pauli also does not accept the objection that a boycott of the World Cup tournament this summer would also harm its own national players Jackson Irvine, Connor Metcalfe (both Australia) and Joel Chima Fujita (Japan). “The life of a professional footballer is no bigger than the lives of many people in different regions who are currently being directly or indirectly attacked or threatened by the World Cup host,” replied the 50-year-old.
“I would like to know from Donald Trump where his taboo has been reached,” says Göttlich
As deputy spokesman for the executive committee of the German Football League (DFL), Göttlich is also a member of the executive committee of the German Football Association (DFB). On the World Cup issue, he does not shy away from a possible conflict with DFB President Bernd Neuendorf and Fifa President Gianni Infantino.
“Qatar was too political for everyone and that’s why we are now completely apolitical?! This is something that really, really, really strains me,” said Göttlich in general terms. “As organizations and society, we are currently forgetting how to set taboos and boundaries and defend values. Taboos are an essential part of attitude. Is the taboo reached when someone threatens? Is the taboo reached when someone attacks? When people die? I would like to know from Donald Trump where his taboo has been reached, and I would like to know from Bernd Neuendorf and Gianni Infantino.”
Göttlich’s club will face HSV in the 113th city derby this Friday evening (8:30 p.m., in the WELT sports ticker). For the two arch-rivals, the game is about a lot not only about prestige but also about sport.
While HSV is doing a little better, St. Pauli, bottom of the table, is under a lot of pressure. The Kiezkub can close the gap on their unpopular rivals and are 14th in the table. If you win, the score will be reduced to two points. In the first half of the season, St. Pauli won 2-0 against a then overwhelmed newcomer in the Volksparkstadion.
pk/dpa
