Qatari fans hit back at Germany by recalling Özil in protest
Qatari soccer fans have hit back at Germany’s World Cup protest by holding pictures of former Germany player Mesut Özil while covering their mouths during the match against Spain
Qatari fans hit back at Germany by recalling Özil in protest
Show all 6Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.Qatari soccer fans hit back at Germany’s World Cup protest on Sunday by holding pictures of former Germany player Mesut Özil while covering their mouths during the match against Spain.
A group of fans held copies of a hand-drawn sketch of Özil, while others showed pictures of him in action for Germany.
The clearly coordinated display was apparently in response to Germany players’ gesture on Wednesday, when they covered their mouths to protest against FIFA following the governing body’s clampdown on the “One Love” armband. That gesture was a response to FIFA’s effective nixing of seven European teams’ plans to wear armbands that were seen as a rebuke to host nation Qatar and its human rights record.
Qatari fans appeared Sunday to reference Germany’s own questionable treatment of Özil, the former player who quit the national team after becoming a target of racist abuse and a scapegoat for Germany’s early World Cup exit in 2018.
Özil, a German-born descendant of Turkish immigrants, accused the country's soccer federation, fans and media of racism in their treatment of people with Turkish roots.
“I am German when we win, but I am an immigrant when we lose,” Özil said at the time.
The abuse started before the 2018 World Cup when Özil posed for photographs with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and increased after the tournament, helped by incendiary statements from Germany team manager Oliver Bierhoff and the federation president at the time, Reinhard Grindel.
Grindel later said he should have given Özil more support.
Germany and Spain drew 1-1 in the match at Al Bayt Stadium.
___
AP World Cup coverage: https://apnews.com/hub/world-cup and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports
Subscribe to Independent Premium to bookmark this article
Want to bookmark your favourite articles and stories to read or reference later? Start your Independent Premium subscription today.