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Claudio Catuogno and Dunja Ramadan, Doha
The German internationals were completely focused on football at al-Khour’s Al-Bayt Stadium, with no other gestures or symbols ahead of the match against Spain. Nevertheless, the atmosphere remains charged around the national team and the DFB. A group of men in Arabic robes had gathered in the German fan block, raising posters and photos with the likeness of former international Mesut Özil in the air while covering their mouths with their hands. It was the same mouth-to-mouth gesture that the German team had shown before the game against Japan in protest against Fifa’s ban on using the “One Love” armband to set an example for diversity and diversity in Qatar.