Frankfurt: German Football Federation president Bernd Neuendorf opposes a boycott of the upcoming World Cup but pledges they will have a clear opinion in a dialogue with the host nation that has been criticised over its human rights record. “I am against a boycott,” Neuendorf told broadcasters SWR on Wednesday. “When the World Cup begins, the focus is on sport. But we have to be clear in our positioning when it comes to social and political conditions in Qatar.” The Amir of the State of Qatar Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, hit out at the critics on Tuesday, speaking of an “unprecedented campaign” against a host nation, of fabricated allegations and double standard. Neuendorf will visit Qatar on Monday and Tuesday together with German Interior Minister Nancy Faeser, and the rights issues will top the agenda in Doha, according to a ministry spokeswoman. “The focus of the trip is on the human rights issues that are being discussed around the tournament, such as the protection of queer people from discrimination and persecution and the responsibility for migrant workers who built the World Cup stadiums,” the spokeswoman said. Neuendorf told SWR that he backs a compensation fund for the workers and says that the governing body FIFA must act accordingly as well. “I made my expectations clear to FIFA President Gianni Infantino. FIFA has a responsibility and it has to live up to it,” he says. Neuendorf added that the awarding of the tournament to Qatar should be seen as a watershed moment because future elections of hosts must take human rights and other issues like sustainability into account. “I believe that in future it will be very difficult to award a World Cup without first discussing what that means,” Neuendorf said. (DPA)
