“What happened with the award of the tournament must not happen again in the future”
BERLIN, Oct. 31 (dpa/EP) –
The former captain of the German team that won the world championship in Brazil in 2014, Philipp Lahm, announced on Monday that he will not travel to Qatar to attend the World Cup, which will be held from November 20 to December 18.
“I am a person who likes to travel to countries where people are always warmly welcomed, no matter who you are. I am someone who appreciates the culture of the fan, who is happy when a nation actually has or develops that culture. That’s why I won’t be there as a fan,” the Euro 2024 tournament director told Pro Sieben television.
Lahm has stressed in the past that he would only travel to Qatar if he had a position there or a job as tournament director, but not as a tourist. “For me the question is very clear: how is a World Cup awarded? There are criteria, and Qatar was not among the first. This must not happen again in the future. A World Cup should not be awarded to countries that do not meet the criteria. criteria,” Lahm stressed.
The host of the World Cup is criticized for systematic violations of human rights, in particular the situation of foreign workers. The government of the emirate rejects the critics and assures that it implements numerous reforms.