A video clip shared on social media appears to show the presenters on a Qatari television programme celebrating Germany’s exit from the 2022 World Cup while mocking the team’s stance on human rights.
In the clip, a series of presenters are seen waving goodbye to Germany while clamping hands over their mouths, a similar gesture the German team made before their opening defeat by Japan on 23 November.
It came as the dejected German squad left their base in Qatar and flew home after Japan and Spain beat them to the two last-16 places in their group.
Germany lost that game to Japan in a shocking upset. A subsequent victory against Costa Rica on Thursday was not enough for Germany to make it out of the group stage and through to the last 16.
There were criticisms all around over Germany’s early exit, with the country’s media labeling their performance in Qatar a ‘disgrace.’
Germany had been planning to wear the OneLove armband in support of LGBTQ+ rights in Qatar until Fifa announced at the last moment that they would face sporting sanctions if they do so.
Instead, the players posed with hands over their mouths to indicate they felt they had been silenced.
The German football association (DFB) initially indicated it might take legal action against Fifa over the issue, saying it was costing them domestic sponsorship. Note that the supermarket chain REWE ended its ties with the DFB over the armband row.
Another video clip, which appeared to be filmed at Al Bayt Stadium in Al Khor after Germany’s 4-2 victory over Costa Rica, seemed to show Germany fans being taunted with pictures of Mesut Özil.
The outspoken player, who has Turkish roots, retired from international football in controversial circumstances in 2018, having appeared 92 times for the national team.
The former England striker Alan Shearer shared his joy at Germany’s exit in a rather less political way, posting a clip of himself enjoying uproarious laughter with his fellow BBC TV presenters Gary Lineker and Micah Richards with a simple caption “Germany are out of the FIFA World Cup in the group stage”.
Fellow German outlet Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung wasn’t in a forgiving mood either, as they wrote: ‘German football is at rock bottom again, four years after a historic first-round exit.’
Also, the Hamburg and Dresden Morning Posts both referenced Germany’s dismal showing in Qatar with the headline ‘Katarstrophe’.
Germany conceded five goals in their three matches, which prompted a legend of the national team Lothar Matthaus to hit out at the team’s defence for their displays in the tournament.
The DFB will next week launch talks to identify the reasons for a second consecutive World Cup flop, as Germany prepares to host Euro 2024.
