Football enthusiasts in Germany displayed a massive “Boycott Qatar 2022” signal at a German Bundesliga league match last month and last week in moves noticed by millions on TV.
“It feels like in the last two or three months, the momentum is building up, it’s increasing,” Schirmer added.
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Qatar has been criticized for its legislation criminalizing homosexuality and its use of migrant staff and has been accused of bribing officials to gain prestige as host of the tournament.
A Qatar World Cup official sparked controversy and pushback from Germany’s interior minister after telling a reporter that homosexuality is “a shame in the mind” and suggesting the World Cup will have to “accept our rules. “
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“Of course, such comments are terrible, and that is why we are rushing towards Qatar,” German Interior Minister Nancy Faeser said in reaction to the comments.
Philipp Lahm, captain of Germany’s world champion team in Brazil 8 years ago, told German news agency dpa that he would bet on the Qatar tournament.
“Human rights play a vital role in awarding tournaments,” Lahm said. “If a country that is suffering in this domain gets the value (for hosting), then you have to think about the criteria on which the resolution was based. “
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Qatari Foreign Minister Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al-Thani said his country’s complaint shows a “double standard,” adding that Qatar has faced a systematic crusade opposing it in the 12 years since it decided to host the World Cup which he said was no other. He has confronted the country.
Tim Sparv, a former captain of Finland’s national team, told EuroNews he believed FIFA was “shocked” by the attention boycott calls had attracted, while mentioning a letter the World Cup framework sent to participating countries this spring, urging them to focus on the game. than politics.
“Reading this letter, I found it arrogant in the first place,” Sparv said. “You feel like they’re a little shocked and don’t like what’s going on — other people take a stand and other people talk. “
FIFA did not respond to a request for comment from Fox News Digital.
Reuters reported last month that the sale price of tickets for football’s biggest sporting occasion was 3 million.
The 10 most sensible buying countries out of the 2. 89 million tickets sold at the time were Qatar, the United States, Saudi Arabia, England, Mexico, the United Arab Emirates, Argentina, France, Brazil and Germany, said Colin Smith, leader of the FIFA World Cup. executive at a press convention in Doha.
The White House said last month it would send a delegation to the occasion despite public outcry over Qatar’s remedy to the gay ring and migrant workers.
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“It’s a vital opportunity, and we’re going to cheer on the team, the American team. It’s not something we can do when there’s an occasion like this,” White House press secretary Karine-Jean Pierre said.
Reuters contributed to this report
Andrew Mark Miller works at Fox News. Find him on Twitter @andymarkmiller and send a recommendation to AndrewMark. Miller@Fox. com.