The Foreign Office, through its spokeswoman Andrea Sasse, has sharply criticized the derogatory statements made by a Qatari World Cup ambassador about homosexuals.

However, the Foreign Ministry is not currently planning a warning for LGBTIQ people traveling to the emirate during the World Cup.

In the ZDF documentary "Geheimsache Qatar", former Qatar national team player Khalid Salman described being gay as "mental damage".

"From our point of view, this is an incredibly homophobic failure," said Sasse on Wednesday at the federal press conference.

"That also contradicts what our contacts in the Qatari government have promised us." The Qatari government has assured that all fans are welcome at the World Cup, which begins on November 20th.

"We rely on that," said the spokeswoman.

In general, there is no warning against traveling to Qatar.

Last week, Interior Minister Nancy Faeser said she received a "security guarantee" from Qatar's Prime Minister and Interior Minister Sheikh Chalid bin Chalifa Al-Thani.

"There is no reason for us to doubt this guarantee," said spokesman Maximilian Kall from the Ministry of the Interior.

The travel and safety information for Qatar at the Federal Foreign Office states that LGBTIQ travelers should be aware that in the Islamic state "homosexual acts and extramarital sex are prohibited and will be prosecuted".

The information would be continuously adjusted, "if necessary," said spokeswoman Sasse.

After Salman's statements, the Lesbian and Gay Association (LSVD) had asked the federal government to consistently cancel all diplomatic trips during and to the World Cup in Qatar.

In addition, the Federal Foreign Office should issue a travel warning “for all lesbians, gays, bisexuals, trans*, intersex and queer people (LSBTIQ*)”.

"Doesn't fit into our worldview at all"

Meanwhile, national team captain Manuel Neuer does not want to rule out that the DFB team will react again to the aggravated situation as a result of the statement.

"That doesn't fit in with our worldview.

It's sad to hear something like that," Neuer said on Wednesday: "You have to think about situations like this, we have to discuss that internally at the DFB with our fellow players."

Like Neuer and Goretzka, Hasan Salihamidzic also described the statement as "unacceptable", but the Munich sports director dodged the question of the effects on Bayern's contract with Qatar Airways: "You have to talk about it, of course, but that's one for now single person.”

Alexander Wehrle became clearer.

The boss of the board of VfB Stuttgart, who has long since confessed to his homosexuality, does not want to react "just to the agenda".

"Equating a sexual orientation with a mental illness – that's far from any idea that we have in our cultural circle," said Wehrle on Sky: "You just have to speak plain language here."

DFB President becomes clear

That's what Bernd Neuendorf did.

"The derailment of the World Cup ambassador is completely out of the question and leaves us stunned," said the President of the German Football Association (DFB) of the Bild newspaper - and sees the world association on the train: "From our point of view, FIFA should seriously examine whether the ethics committee does not have to deal with this."

“Unfortunately, the statement fits the legislation.

Recently, an attempt was made to talk it up as safe," said fan representative Helen Breit from "Our Curve": "We asked for a full guarantee of safety, which is still not there."

However, the federal government insists on compliance with this guarantee.

It is "important and essential," said Minister of Justice Marco Buschmann (FDP) on ZDF: "Homosexuality is not a disease.

Anyone who invites the world to a sports festival should have realized this long ago.”

If Thomas Hitzlsperger has his way, Salman's statements are at best taken ad absurdum by a player.

According to the former international, professionals could "feel both intimidated or even challenged to come out" by the statements.

Hitzlsperger, who is openly gay, would advocate coming out during the World Cup.

"I would think it would be great if someone would do it."