Injured World Cup workers: DFB boss calls for more responsibility from FIFA

The start of the World Cup in Qatar is imminent.

Injured World Cup workers: DFB boss calls for more responsibility from FIFA

The start of the World Cup in Qatar is imminent. But instead of sports, for months it has been about political issues, such as human rights violations against guest workers during the construction of the World Cup stadiums. DFB boss Neuendorf calls for a clear stance on the part of the football associations.

According to DFB President Bernd Neuendorf, the world football association FIFA must face up to its responsibility for those workers who died or were injured during the construction of the World Cup stadiums in Qatar and who can no longer support their families. This is also a responsibility that the DFB must face up to, said Neuendorf at the presentation of the Julius Hirsch Prize of the German Football Association (DFB) in Dresden.

He also spoke to FIFA President Gianni Infantino about it during his trip to Qatar. The allocation of the tournament was viewed very critically. "I think the tournament has already changed the sport," said Neuendorf. In the future, the award will also have to be based on human rights criteria. That will be an important criterion for FIFA. "That means the sport has become more political," explained Neuendorf and spoke of a good development. Football must raise its voice.

The World Cup in the emirate begins on November 20th and ends on December 18th. Since the tournament was awarded to Qatar, human rights groups have massively criticized human rights violations and the way migrant workers are treated. Most recently, they have been urging FIFA and Qatar for weeks to set up a $440 million compensation fund for migrant workers who died or were seriously injured on the World Cup construction sites.

This year, the DFB awarded the Julius Hirsch Prize to the district league club SV Blau-Weiss Grana from Zeitz in Saxony-Anhalt. The association had taken in many refugees. Other award winners are the learning location stadium from Berlin and the network remembrance work in the context of Hamburger SV. The Duisburg pedagogue and author Burak Yilmaz from Duisburg received the honorary award.

With the award, the DFB has commemorated Jewish victims of the Nazi regime every year since 2005. People, associations and institutions are honored for their commitment against anti-Semitism and discrimination. It is named after Julius Hirsch. He was a DFB national player, Olympic participant and two-time German champion. In 1943 he was murdered in Auschwitz.