A member of the executive committee of the German soccer federation has stated that it may be time to contemplate a boycott of the World Cup due to the actions of U.S. President Donald Trump.
Oke Göttlich, who serves as the president of Bundesliga club St. Pauli and is one of the ten vice presidents of the German federation, expressed in an interview with the Hamburger Morgenpost on Friday that “the time has come” to “seriously consider and discuss this.”
Trump has created tensions in Europe with his proposal to purchase Greenland—a semiautonomous territory of NATO member Denmark—and his subsequent threat to impose tariffs on eight European nations that opposed the acquisition. This has led many of America’s closest allies to warn of a potential rift with Washington that could jeopardize the NATO alliance.
“What were the reasons for the boycotts of the Olympic Games in the 1980s?” Göttlich asked. “In my view, the potential threat is greater now than it was then. We need to engage in this discussion.”
The United States is set to co-host the World Cup from June 11 to July 19 alongside Canada and Mexico. Supporters have raised concerns regarding high ticket prices, while travel restrictions enacted by the Trump administration are also preventing fans from certain competing nations from attending.
Göttlich, who advocates for the protection of values, is expected to face opposition to boycott calls from federation president Bernd Neuendorf and FIFA president Gianni Infantino.
Earlier this week, France’s sports minister Marina Ferrari stated that her country is not currently contemplating a boycott due to tensions surrounding Greenland, but did not dismiss the possibility for the future.
“At this moment, there is no intention from the ministry to boycott this significant, eagerly awaited event,” she informed reporters on Tuesday. “However, I am not ruling out what may happen later.”
The German federation had previously expressed disapproval of the 2022 World Cup host, Qatar.
Germany performed poorly at that tournament, and the coach who succeeded afterward, Julian Nagelsmann, indicated he wished to avoid further political distractions.
“Qatar was overly political for everyone, and now we are entirely apolitical? That is something that truly, truly, truly concerns me,” Göttlich remarked.
“As organizations and society, we are losing the ability to establish taboos and boundaries, and to uphold values,” he continued. “Taboos are a crucial aspect of our position. Is a taboo violated when someone issues a threat? Is a taboo violated when someone is attacked? When lives are lost?
“I would like to understand from Donald Trump when he has crossed his taboo, and I would also like to know from Bernd Neuendorf and Gianni Infantino.”
St. Pauli, based in Hamburg, is recognized for intertwining sport with politics near the city’s red-light district, particularly with its left-wing perspective. The club’s iconic pirate skull-and-crossbones emblem was initially adopted by squatters in the vicinity and later embraced by fans identifying as punks.
Göttlich rejected the notion that a boycott would negatively impact St. Pauli’s national team players, Australia’s Jackson Irvine and Connor Metcalfe, as well as Japan’s Joel Chima Fujita.
“The life of a professional player does not hold more value than the lives of countless individuals in various regions who are being directly or indirectly threatened or attacked by the World Cup host,” he stated.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
