Soccer World Cups are actually holidays, for die-hard fans as well as for all those who just like to cheer in company. At previous World Cups, the anticipation was already great, cars decorated with little flags drove through the area even before the opening game. During the tournament, people in national jerseys populated the beer gardens and gathered in front of large screens. The fact that the World Cup in Qatar, which starts this weekend, will not be played outdoors is of course primarily due to the time of year. The fact that the event hasn’t received a lot of attention so far also has to do with the venue.
For the sports scientist Christopher Huth, who lectures at the University of the Bundeswehr in Neubiberg, this attitude of denial comes as no surprise: “Rarely, if not never before, has a host of a World Cup finals been viewed as critically as Qatar. The list of criticisms is long and goes on from corruption in awarding contracts to numerous dead workers on the World Cup construction sites to the issue of human rights,” says the professor. The homophobic statements made by an official ambassador for the title fights in a recent ZDF report also contributed to the fact that the image of Qatar “should not change as positively around the world as a result of the upcoming World Cup finals as that of Germany did years ago,” he said Huth.
Disappointment: There will hardly be any public viewing of football this year – in contrast to four years ago, like here in an Ayinger beer garden.
(Photo: Claus Schunk)
The “enormous, unprecedented reticence” that Huth observes before the tournament is also reflected in the plans of the restaurants in the Munich district. A spokeswoman for the Garchinger Augustiner, for example, says clearly: “Firstly, these public viewings cost Gema fees. And secondly, we don’t notice any enthusiasm for the tournament among our customers, which is why we are not planning any broadcasts as of now.” But it doesn’t have to stay that way if the German team has a strong preliminary round: “If we find people who are really interested, we’ll think about it.”
Even in the new restaurant “Zum wilden Bock” in Ottobrunn’s Wolf-Ferrari-Haus, the World Cup is left out: “We don’t show anything,” says Christoph Radde, one of the two innkeepers. At the European Championship in 2024, which will take place in Germany, that could change. The Dreambowl-Palace in Unterföhring also does without live football: “We will not broadcast any games here because there is no demand. We are also open to a limited extent due to a lack of staff,” says Sybille Dengel, who is responsible for events in Europe’s largest bowling center is.
There can be no question of a general boycott
However, there can be no talk of a general boycott of the World Cup by the local gastronomy. In Max-Bowling in Brunnthal, for example, all games that take place during opening hours can be seen, as an employee explains on the phone. In the Hachinger Wirtshaus am Sportpark, the club restaurant of the fourth division Spielvereinigung Unterhaching, they also don’t want to hide the World Cup, as Vice President Peter Wagstyl emphasizes: “We are a sports restaurant, our coach Sandro Wagner is a television expert in Qatar and our former youth player Karim Adeyemi is there in the German squad. We would make ourselves look ridiculous if we boycotted the tournament.” Although Wagstyl understands those who are refraining from the World Cup this time, the current outrage comes too late for him: “You can’t change the fact that the tournament is taking place there. You should have taken to the streets back then when indicated that Qatar would be awarded the contract.”
“We would make ourselves look ridiculous”: Because their coach Sandro Wagner is in Qatar as a television expert, the Unterhaching Association will not boycott the World Cup, as Vice President Peter Wagstyl says.
(Photo: Sven Leifer/imago/foto2press)
The Qatar World Cup can also be seen at the other fourth division club in the district. The SV Heimstetten restaurant “Zum Kelten” shows all games that are broadcast during opening hours, as host and football department head Michael Matejka reports. And “Die 2” in Neubiberg, where football broadcasts have always been part of the concept, also doesn’t want to do without the World Cup entirely: “All evening Germany games are shown. Inside on TV and outside on a small screen,” says managing director Kim Hoffman. At the Winter Magic, which takes place on all Advent weekends in the outdoor area of the restaurant, there is even mulled wine for the games of the DFB-Elf.
A stationery shop in Unterhaching orders 1,000 bags a week
So in some economies there will be something close to normality at this extraordinary World Cup. This also applies to another business area that is directly related to the event: the Panini collection pictures, which are particularly popular with children. Harry Bittner, who runs a kiosk with a café at the Planegg train station, has noticed a level of demand that is normal for the run-up to the World Cup: “It’s already going okay, but the event has to start first, then it will increase even more.” Wolfgang Proksch, owner of a stationery shop at the Unterhachinger S-Bahn station, cannot complain about the business with the picture bags either: “It works as always, they sell no worse than four years ago.” He currently orders around 1,000 bags a week, “because a ten-year-old doesn’t care if there are political problems in Qatar.” The World Cup specials from table football and sports picture would sell “greatly”, says the former footballer, who went on the hunt for goals himself for SpVgg Unterhaching, especially in the 1980s. He himself will not boycott the matches, but will not follow them as enthusiastically as at previous major events: “I’ve put a television in the shop before, I’m definitely not going to do that this time.”
Newspaper dealer Wolfgang Proksch cannot complain.
(Photo: Claus Schunk)
At least the stationery retailers shouldn’t make a blatant loss as a result of “Qatar 2022” – that’s different with the sporting goods retailers. He has only sold two Germany jerseys so far, says Hans Forster, who runs a sports shop in Grünwald. “And these were two boys who gave birth to their parents until they got it.” At the previous world championships, the demand was always high, but that was not the case this time. “It’s just not summer, and the World Cup is simply associated with too many negative circumstances,” said Forster.
A sports shop in Ottobrunn is already reducing jersey prices
Gabi Pliva, branch manager of the Intersport shop Siebzehnrübl next to the Isarcenter in Ottobrunn, sees it in a very similar way: “A few days before the opening game we would normally be sold out, and now I have to reduce the prices for the jerseys in order to sell any at all”, she complains. “This tournament is at the dumbest time in the dumbest country under the dumbest circumstances.” But one thing is important: “We all mustn’t be disrespectful towards the footballers who play there, because they can do the least for it.”
Gabi Pliva remains seated on the products for the World Cup.
(Photo: Claus Schunk)
A point that the Neubiberg sports scientist Christopher Huth also takes up: “It is unfortunate that the players for whom a FIFA World Cup is the biggest sporting event will ultimately suffer.” He hopes that the professionals “make use of their media weight and critically accompany the World Cup”. If the German kickers are also successful in sport, it might still be something with a touch of World Cup euphoria.