Uli Hoeneß sees the World Cup and football as a whole damaged: In an interview, the honorary president of FC Bayern Munich criticizes the DFB – and sees FIFA boss Gianni Infantino as a “great catastrophe for world football”.
Uli Hoeneß is angry. To FIFA, above all to its President Gianni Infantino, and to the DFB. In an interview with RTL, the decades-long maker of FC Bayern Munich accused the DFB leadership of making mistakes in the discussion about the “One Love” bandage: “She leaned too far out of the window with the announcement that she was consistent, the topic consistent pull through. And they didn’t do that in the end.” It should have been known that FIFA could determine the bandage according to its statutes.
Under pressure from FIFA, the DFB and other European associations decided, contrary to their announcement, not to wear the “One Love” captain’s armband in their opening games. DFB media director Steffen Simon also explained the waiver by saying that FIFA had “massively threatened it”.
On the evening before the English team’s Monday game, whose captain Harry Kane also wanted to wear the “One Love” armband, the tournament director visited the English team, warned of “multiple rule violations” and threatened “massive sporting sanctions”. DFB President Bernd Neuendorf said on Tuesday: “We are experiencing an unprecedented event in World Cup history.” According to Neuendorf at a hastily convened media meeting, FIFA had sent “clear threats” that “must be taken very seriously”.
FIFA and President Infantino were punished by banning him from supporting re-election: “That was a clear signal to FIFA that we are not prepared to support certain things that come from FIFA,” said Neuendorf. Alone: ??It is a symbolic sign that the Swiss will be elected to his third term without opposition anyway. That’s not enough for Hoeneß: “You didn’t have the courage to stand up to FIFA. That would have been urgently needed, because for me Gianni Infantino is a major disaster for world football, and there would have been a wonderful chance to help him to show: up to here and no further.”
Hoeneß has long since seen the tournament, the premium product of the world association, as massively damaged: “The World Cup as it is currently presented will definitely not be a success, that’s already clear, and it will definitely damage football as a whole,” Hoeneß said: “If you look at the ratings, if you see people’s enthusiasm for this World Cup, you can already see the damage.”
However, he is not in favor of bringing the German team home now. “For years you’ve had enough time to speak up and exercise the power to do so. I don’t think the European federations have realized the power they really have.” Boycott and departure are the wrong way.
