World Cup 2022: On non-game days I boycott the World Cup

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It's snowing in Germany and the ball isn't rolling in Qatar

Photo: Jan Huebner / IMAGO

Days without games at this World Cup are even sadder than this World Cup.

I sat in the hotel and watched the morning magazine.

The presenter stood with Olaf Thon, our 1990 World Champion, in the German Football Museum in Dortmund.

Palm trees and funny armchairs had been set up in the background.

It all looked exactly like a Christmas party where the HR department colleagues wanted to try something new.

Only funny sunglasses and a photo booth were missing.

I sat on the bed and felt like Bill Murray, but I was just me and the hotel was the Intercity Hotel.

The morning magazine presenter was now speaking in English with the microphone lowered to a musician who had been invited.

He pointed to Olaf Thon and said: "Champion".

It is skilful and I think deliberate irony that ARD broadcasts its World Cup coverage from a museum.

There was a short film from Brazil, in Brazil they watch football at 38 degrees, in swimming trunks.

I scroll through the football news from the German winter.

Flick remains national coach, Thomas Müller is thinking of resigning (I thought he had already resigned?), Fredi Bobic is demanding something from the DFB.

Now I'm sitting in my office at SPIEGEL, outside December offers a mixture of rain and snow.

Messi is playing tomorrow, after all.