World Cup in Saudi Arabia: Ex-coach criticizes DFB: “Have a stance and live”

Former national coach Martina Voss-Tecklenburg clearly criticized her former employer for his behavior in awarding the World Cup to Saudi Arabia. “We talked a lot in the DFB during my time about having an attitude and living an attitude. I think that one could have expected that people would at least abstain and thereby make a statement,” said Voss-Tecklenburg late on Wednesday evening on ZDF.

A few hours earlier, the world association FIFA had awarded Saudi Arabia the World Cup in ten years by acclamation at an online congress. There was no opposing candidate, just like when the 2030 World Cup was awarded to Spain, Morocco and Portugal. At the world tournament in six years, one game will also take place in Argentina, Uruguay and Paraguay.

“We want to be role models”

When assessing the application, FIFA certified Saudi Arabia as having a “medium risk” in human rights issues. The organizing committee promises far-reaching reforms. Voss-Tecklenburg would have liked more resistance from the DFB.

“Norway has shown the way. We want to be role models. We cannot denounce things on the one hand and then explain our way out of them with this understanding. Personally, I would have wished for something different,” said the 56-year-old. Voss-Tecklenburg was national coach from 2018 to 2023 and works as an expert on ZDF. Norway had announced a protest note and described the process as “flawed” and “incompatible with the principles of FIFA reforms”.