“Eat vegetarian for a week”: bizarre slogans on the DFB team bus

Created: 11/18/2022 3:23 p.m

By: Antonio Jose Riether

The German national team was chauffeured to their quarters after their arrival in Qatar.

With a bizarrely decorated team bus.

Doha - "FIFA is doing its part to ensure that the World Cup in Qatar 2022 is climate-neutral," Gianni Infantino, President of the World Football Association, was quoted as saying in early June.

The upcoming tournament is anything but environmentally friendly, not only because of the expected 1.5 million spectators.

Seven of the eight World Cup stadiums, which are also being artificially cooled, were built from the ground under sometimes inhumane conditions.

The design of the German national team's team bus, which is intended to convey sustainability as strikingly and almost desperately as possible, is particularly surprising given these general conditions.

World Cup 2022: Sustainable resolutions on the DFB bus - "If Germany scores a goal..."

The German team bus of the South Korean automobile manufacturer Hyundai, an official sponsor of the World Cup, was not only painted in the usual colors of the national team.

As with the other teams, several slogans on the subject of sustainability adorn the vehicle of the DFB team.

"If Germany scores a goal, I'll install a solar panel on the roof," "then I'll plant and harvest my own vegetables," or "then I'll reduce my energy consumption for a week," says the back of the bus.

The Hyundai logo and advertising slogans of the manufacturer are emblazoned under the sayings.

The strange sayings on the DFB team bus are in stark contrast to the entire tournament.

© Federico Gambarini/dpa

World Cup 2022: Sustainable slogans as a PR campaign on the DFB team bus

On the side, in addition to the English term "Cheer" (in German: to cheer), other sayings can be read that are intended to demonstrate a conscious approach to the environment.

"Rethink your own energy balance", "Eat vegetarian for a week" or "Bring your own shopping bags to the supermarket" are three of the slogans of the PR campaign on the bus.

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In view of the arenas, which have been cooled down to 22 degrees, the sustainability resolutions seem particularly bizarre.

The German internationals will probably have noticed the sayings when they took the new team bus to the somewhat remote quarter in the north of the peninsula last Thursday, which is only 75 minutes by bus from the first game location.

Germany's squad for the 2022 World Cup in Qatar

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World Cup 2022: Ten support vehicles and escort for the DFB entourage on arrival in Qatar

With ten support vehicles and a blue light escort, the DFB footballers were escorted to the Zulal Wellness Resort, where drumming and singing hotel employees with black, red and gold flags ensured a perfectly rehearsed reception.

“We are happy to finally arrive in Qatar and at the World Cup.

The players will like our base camp,” said national coach Hansi Flick when the team arrived.

The 57-year-old released his players on Friday so that they "can also calm down mentally".

World Cup 2022: DFB President Neuendorf is confident of victory before the Japan game

After that, the team still has four full days to prepare for the first preliminary round game against Japan.

The first win should come at the Khalifa International Stadium, DFB President Bernd Neuendorf was already very optimistic at the press conference.

"I am firmly convinced that we will have a positive start and will definitely win the game," said the 61-year-old.

The team must now follow the words of the top management with deeds.