Soccer – Cologne – Neuendorf after the Qatar World Cup: We have a responsibility – Sport
Berlin (dpa) – After the World Cup in Qatar, DFB President Bernd Neuendorf also sees the German association as having an obligation to pay compensation for guest workers. FIFA President Gianni Infantino has assured that there should be such payments. “But we don’t know exactly how it’s supposed to work. It’s also our job now not to say that the World Cup in Qatar is over and our eyes are on other major football events. That mustn’t happen here,” said Neuendorf on Thursday at a panel discussion on “What follows after Qatar?” in the German Sport & Olympic Museum in Cologne.
He probably sees it as a success for Amnesty International and other human rights organizations, but “also for us that Infantino felt compelled to address these things at the end of the day. We & are now watching, are they actually being implemented and how are they implemented there we are responsible.”
Human rights organizations and fans had demanded millions in compensation payments from the world football association FIFA for migrant workers in Qatar. At least 440 million US dollars (about 420 million euros) would have to be made available for numerous human rights violations since the World Cup was awarded in 2010, it said.
The massive interference with the rights of migrants in Qatar was known before the World Cup was awarded. Before that, FIFA turned a blind eye and thus undeniably contributed to human rights abuses. The rich emirate is repeatedly criticized for systematic human rights violations and the exploitation of migrants. The government denies the allegations and is leading reforms in favor of foreign workers.
Neuendorf is to be elected to the FIFA Council on April 5th. The 61-year-old is the only candidate for the post on the FIFA body that will become vacant following the resignation of former DFB top official Peter Peters. There he wants to continue – that must be Germany’s claim – to place political things such as human rights in FIFA.
© dpa-infocom, dpa:230112-99-199808/2