World Cup 2022 in Qatar – Thomas Hitzlsperger draws a bitter summary of the German protest: “Flyed in the face”

“I was allowed to speak to the team once and encouraged them, saying it would be good if they used the platform and stood up for our values,” said Thomas Hitzlsperger on “ARD”.

An action that attracted worldwide attention, but Hitzlsperger no longer rates it as a success.

“Today I have to realize: we got lost! We thought too much that we had to use the stage to maybe give a voice to people who don’t have a voice. Now we realize that FIFA and Qatar decide what to do this World Cup happened,” said the 52-time national player.

Hitzlsperger complains: “Then it’s all useless”

If you have “no means of pressure” at your disposal, you can’t get through with such actions. “If the threat of a yellow card or sporting sanctions is enough for us to withdraw, it doesn’t do any good,” emphasized Hitzlsperger, alluding to the “One Love” bandage.

“We really got kicked in the face with it,” said Hitzlsperger. “In future, the players would have to decide for themselves whether something is important enough for them to do something like this. We, and I don’t exclude myself, or the association can’t demand it, it won’t work.”

Hitzlsperger praises DFB professionals: topic not used as an alibi

But the protest also harmed the four-time world champion in sport, as Hitzlsperger believes. “I’m convinced that the players had to deal with it too much and that wasn’t beneficial. But nobody used it as an alibi, I thought that was very good.”