After the failure of the German national team at the World Cup in Qatar, a reshuffle took place in the leadership of the country's football. The new sports director of the German Football Association (DFB) was the legendary former striker Rudi Feller, who immediately made a loud statement. The functionary advocated the abandonment of the captain's armbands in the colors of LGBT, which gave rise to heated debate during the world championship. About why Feller called on football players to refrain from participating in political actions, and about the consequences of his statements — in our material.
In Qatar, the Germans were too carried away by actionism
Rainbow captain armbands as part of the OneLove campaign in support of sexual minorities became one of the brightest topics at the start of the World Cup in Qatar. For the first time they were tried on in the Netherlands national team in the last draw of the League of Nations, which ended just before the tournament in Qatar. Soon the idea was picked up by other European teams — England, Belgium, Denmark, Sweden, Germany… The list is far from complete.
It was planned that the players would continue to play in Qatar, but then problems began. It is no secret how the authorities of this country treat such actions. And the International Football Federation (FIFA) did not want to quarrel with them. The discussion reached a peak on the eve of the match between England and Iran: the captain of the Three Lions, Harry Kane, was about to go out in a rainbow armband. FIFA issued a statement banning the rainbow and threatening national federations with financial sanctions and players with removal before the match even started. As a result, Kane appeared in an armband with a compromise inscription «No discrimination».
The Germans went even further, who marked a protest before the match with Japan. In the team photo, the Bundesteam players covered their mouths with their hands, thus hinting at FIFA's attempt to silence them. In addition, the German Football Association threatened to sue the international federation. Behind all this scandal, the game itself went into the background, in which the players of Hans-Dieter Flick sensationally lost (1:2).
After the match, it became clear what caused such a degree of tension between the players. Rijkaard accused Feller of racist remarks against him — he allegedly called a rival of Surinamese origin a «black monkey». The German admitted that in a fit of passion he could use rude expressions, but certainly not so disgusting. At the same time, the attacker assured that the Dutchman called him a «fascist.» Be that as it may, the moment with Rijkaard's spitting became one of the most memorable in the history of the World Championships.
However, the scandals in Feller's biography are limited to this situation. The legendary striker was not seen in inappropriate behavior, and his personal life has always been inconspicuous and calm. But as soon as he took on a new position, Feller forced the public to talk about him in a different way. With just one phrase, he caused a serious storm in the information space. And until the German team starts to win on the field, this topic will remain one of the most discussed.