Bayern Munich’s midfielder Leon Goretzka recently made a stand with the LGBTQ+ community after Qatar World Cup ambassador Khalid Salman said an “oppressive” statement about homosexuality.
The former Qatar international footballer called homosexuality “damage in the mind,” and he also stated that the LGBTQ+ people going to Qatar should “accept our rules.” Under the Islamic Sharia law, homosexuality is considered immoral, and it is therefore illegal in this year’s World Cup host nation.
On Tuesday, Bayern Munich was victorious with a 6-1 home win over Werden Bremen, and the spectators unveiled a banner in protest against Salman’s comments. Furthermore, Goretzka did an interview with the German media after the game, wherein he expressed:
“It’s very oppressive. This is an image of a man that comes from another millennium. It leaves you speechless that something like this can be said by a World Cup ambassador shortly before a World Cup.”
Meanwhile, the German Football Association (DFB) president Bernd Neuendorf admitted that he was “stunned” by what the World Cup ambassador said regarding homosexuality.
“The statement discredits the entire LGBTIQ community and reveals an extremely problematic relationship with human rights. Fifa should seriously examine whether its ethics committee should deal with this,” Neuendorf stated in an interview with German daily Bild.
Source: bbc.com
