By Samindra Kunti in Al Khor
November 28 – Qatari fans staged a protest of their own, targeting Germany by holding pictures of the former Germany player Mesut Özil while covering their mouths during the match against Spain.
In a protest against FIFA’s ban of the OneLove armband, the Germans covered their mouths before their opening match with Japan, but on Sunday local supporters fired back holding sketches of the former Arsenal player while covering their mouths.
The supporters were referring to the treatment Ozil got in Germany. The midfielder once said that he was considered a German when the national team won, but that he was considered a migrant when the team lost. He quit the national team after becoming a target of racist abuse and a scapegoat for Germany’s early World Cup exit in 2018. He had been targeted in Germany after sharing photos with Turkish Recep Tayyip Erdogan.
FIFA banned the OneLove armband which some European countries wanted to wear during the World Cup to protest discrimination in the host nation. Qataris then also brought their own armbands to the stadium with pro-Palestine messages and a design that mimics the keffiyeh that Yasser Arafat used to wear.
Palestinian flags have been a constant feature at the World Cup in Qatar, with Arabs taking the world’s biggest stage to rally behind the cause.
Germany went on to hold Spain to a 1-1 draw and will play a must win tie with Costa Rica if they are to progress to the next round. Costa Rica defeated Japan 1-0.
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