VW sticks to DFB sponsorship: criticism of FIFA

Created: 11/22/2022, 4:24 p.m

Ball boys leave the pitch after spreading the Volkswagen logo.

© David Hecker/dpa/archive image

The car company Volkswagen wants to stick to its sponsorship of the German Football Association (DFB) and has criticized the world association FIFA in the debate about the "One Love" bandage.

"We do not intend to end our sponsorship," said the Wolfsburg-based company on Tuesday when asked.

“There have been many good developments at the DFB in recent months.

Wolfsburg - And we want to continue working together with the DFB on positive changes in football as a whole in the future."

VW emphasized that the partnership with the DFB includes not only the men's national team but also the women's as well as youth and amateur football.

However, VW described the behavior of FIFA, which had announced that it would sanction the wearing of the "One Love" captain's armband at the World Cup in Qatar, as "unacceptable".

Volkswagen would have welcomed it if the European associations had set such an example for diversity at this tournament, the statement said: "The discussions and reactions show that something fundamental needs to change in world football."

Volkswagen also recalled that the Bundesliga club VfL Wolfsburg, which belongs to the group, was the first professional club in Germany where, from 2017 onwards, the captains wore rainbow armbands.

The Cologne retail chain Rewe had ended its cooperation with the DFB because of FIFA's decision on the "One Love" armband.

dpa