Saudis and Qataris mock the DFB team: "Next time rather focus on football"

Created: 2022-11-25 05:06

By: Marius Epp

Hansi Flick's national team experienced a bitter evening in the World Cup opening game against Japan.

Ridicule and malice come from Qatar of all places.

Ar-Rayyan – Hansi Flick's World Cup debut went horribly wrong in sporting terms, but: The national team gained sympathy in many places with their mouth-to-mouth gesture before the Japan game.

But not everywhere.

In Qatar, the sign for human rights was less well received.

As is well known, the host country of the 2022 World Cup does not attach much importance to this.

The Qataris obviously liked the German defeat (for individual criticism) against the Japanese, who were inferior on paper but not on the pitch, all the better.

Arabs make fun of Germany: "This is what happens when you don't focus on football"

The popular Qatari journalist Mohammed Al-Kaabi could not resist a malicious comment on the DFB bankruptcy.

He posted the photo in which the German players symbolically put their hands over their mouths because FIFA banned them from protesting with the "One Love" armband under threat of sanctions.

Next to it he put a photo of the game result.

"That's what happens when you don't concentrate on football," he sent mocking greetings in the direction of Germany.

After the final whistle of the Germany game, he shared a photo of himself with his hand in front of his mouth on Instagram and continued to make fun of the DFB gesture.

World Cup 2022: Arab mockery after the DFB bankruptcy against Japan

The Saudi Arabian journalist Waleed Saeed, no less popular with over a million Twitter followers, sent a similar malicious message to Germany.

"Next time focus on football," he advised on Twitter.

Everyone can decide for themselves whether it is ultimately more important to stand up for human rights than to win a soccer game.

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DFB on the World Cup protest: "It's not about a political message"

In any case, the DFB emphasized in its statement that the action should not be interpreted as a political sign: "It's not about a political message: human rights are non-negotiable." Denmark is now even considering a FIFA exit - DFB President Neuendorf also stands up against the world association.

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