German Football Legend: Democrats’ Anger & Right’s Delight Over Rainbow Controversy

After the failure of the German national team in the World Cup in Qatar, the country’s football leadership was reshuffled. The new sports director of the German Football Association (DFB) is former legendary striker Rudi Weiler, who immediately made a loud statement. The employee called for the captain’s armbands to be given away in LGBT colours, which led to a heated debate during the World Series. About why Feller called on football players to refrain from participating in political actions, and about the consequences of his statements – in our material.

The captain’s rainbow armbands as part of OneLove’s campaign to support sexual minorities became one of the brightest themes at the start of the World Cup in Qatar. For the first time, they were tested with the Netherlands national team in the final draw of the Nations League, 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’s no secret how the authorities of this country deal with such actions. And the International Federation of Football Associations (FIFA) does not want to quarrel with them. The discussion came to a head on the eve of the match between England and Iran: the captain of the Three Lions, Harry Kane, was about to walk out wearing a rainbow armband. FIFA issued a statement banning the rainbow and threatening the national federations with financial penalties and expulsion of players before the match even started. As a result, Kane appeared in a badge with the inscription “No Discrimination” compromise.

The Germans went even further, staging a protest before the match with Japan. In the team photo, the Bundestem players covered their mouths with their hands, 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, as the players of Hans-Dieter Flick sensationally lost (1: 2).

Then the Germans failed to cope with Spain (1: 1), and the victory over Costa Rica (4: 2) was not enough to leave the group. The Bundestem failed at another major tournament, which caused a flurry of criticism from its fans and provoked sarcastic jokes from rivals. Everyone immediately remembered how much attention the players paid to political actions, and completely forgot to properly prepare for the tournament. It is enough to look at the gestures with which the Germans were seen at the World Cup on country television.

The failure in Qatar led to major changes in leadership positions. Oddly enough, Hans-Dieter Flick retained his position as head coach and will prepare the team for the 2024 European Championships at home. But the sports director of the German Football Association Oliver Bierhoff, who received a contract for a year and a half, lost his job. He was replaced in January by the legendary Rudi Feller, who won the 1990 World Cup with Germany.

The 62-year-old specialist has extensive experience. In 1996, he finished his football career at Bayer Leverkusen and immediately moved to the position of sports director of the club from Leverkusen, where for several decades he managed to stay as a coach, employee and management consultant. , and even a member of the Shareholders’ Committee. Prior to taking over Bierhoff, Feller worked as a consultant to the board of directors of the German Football Association – though not for long, and apparently preparing for a new position.

Just a few days ago, Feller and Flick held a joint press conference, which was also attended by the coach of the German youth team, Antonio Di Salvo. This was due to changes in the strategy of the main national team, namely, with greater emphasis on young players. In particular, for the upcoming matches with Peru and Belgium, six newcomers were immediately called up to the German national team, most of whom were barely in their thirties.

Another thing is that the German football community has not received clear answers to the many questions that arose after the team’s previous failures. What exactly will leadership change? What will be the fate of veterans like Manuel Neuer? How will Filler and Flick share powers? There were only so many general statements that did not convince fans that the changes that occurred would work. Apparently, only victories will help get rid of skepticism towards the national team.

What you can be sure of is that the German national team will now try to isolate itself from the political agenda. It is clear that the chaos, in the midst of which the team appeared in the 2022 World Cup, did not benefit it, but rather interfered with it. For example, Flick admitted that the captain of the national team, Manuel Neuer, was under tremendous pressure, which the rest of the players felt, because on the eve of the start of the tournament in Qatar, everyone was talking about rainbow armbands. .

After analyzing the disappointing performance in Qatar, conclusions were drawn about the team’s participation in various promotions. Feller, in an interview with Bild, stressed that the captain’s armband should be in the national colour. The new DFB sporting director urged the players to drop politics and focus on the game. According to him, this was exactly what the Germans lacked in order to achieve an acceptable result at the World Cup.

Almost word for word, this idea has been repeated by Flick. The Germany head coach said it was necessary to draw lessons from the situation and noted that if the players wanted to support some kind of action, these delicate issues should be “clarified in advance”.

In general, the Football Association seriously intends to restore the reputation of the national team, which has become a laughing stock and no longer inspires the former terror of competitors. It is very important that the Germans return the lost positions to the home Euro, the failure of which will cost even more. In such a situation, one should only focus on the game.

Meanwhile, Feller’s rant almost made the situation more politicized. The words of the new sports director of the German Football Association (DFB), which won just over 10% in the last Bundestag elections, were enthusiastically welcomed by the far-right Alternative for Germany party. A message of gratitude appeared on the organization’s social networks.

However, associations with the far-right party are not at all what the German Football Association (DFB) had hoped for after abandoning the gay-colored captain’s armbands. The union responded immediately by saying it would continue to protect the rights of sexual minorities and combat discrimination.

There were completely different feelings due to Feller’s statement on the opposite political side. In particular, Nancy Wesser criticized the employee of the German Social Democratic Party, who also holds the post of Minister of the Interior of the country. Many saw her in the stands next to FIFA President Gianni Infantino in the ill-fated match with Japan. Then she had the same bandage on her arm that players were forbidden to wear.

Feller’s reluctance to get involved in politics is understandable, because he, like no one else, knows what this threatens. After all, the loudest scandal at the 1990 World Cup for Germany was associated with him.

In the 1/8 finals, the Germans met with the Netherlands. Feller constantly had skirmishes with Frank Rijkaard during the match. They sorted out the relationship over and over again – and as a result, both were removed. Before leaving the field, Rijkaard managed to spit in the back of Feller’s head, which he complained about to the referee. The ring hit the camera lens, as did the footage in which Feller showed his head to the referee.

After the match, it became clear what caused such a degree of tension between the players. He accused Ricard Feller of making racist comments against him – he allegedly called a competitor of Surinamese descent a “black monkey”. The German admitted that in a fit of passion he could use rude expressions, but they were certainly not disgusting. At the same time, the striker confirmed that the Dutchman called him a “fascist”. Be that as it may, the moment with Rijkaard’s spit has become 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 has never been seen in inappropriate behavior, and his personal life has always been inconspicuous and quiet. But once in a new position, Feller forced the public to talk about him differently. With just one phrase, he caused a serious storm in the information space. And until the German national team starts winning on the field, this topic will remain one of the most discussed.