The question to Manuel Neuer actually had a second part.

But the captain of the national team didn't wait any longer - which made the "yes" to the first part seem all the more resolute.

In the press conference of the German football Federal been asked on Saturday.

And for Neuer that is, his reaction did not allow any other impression, a matter of course.

Christian Kamp

sports editor.

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Tobias Rabe

Responsible editor for Sport Online.

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That was a moment of clarity that in truth did not seem entirely self-evident in this charged debate, in which some things, especially on the part of the International Football Association (FIFA), seem opaque to vague.

What you can say anyway: Since this weekend, the "One Love" bandage is no longer just a symbol in its actual sense, as a sign of diversity and tolerance, but also of what's going on at this World Cup.

Or alternatively: What (at all) does not work.

And FIFA had taken care of that itself.

On Saturday early in the morning, the world association issued a press release with the motto "Football Unites the World".

It was about social campaigns that were created in cooperation with organizations of the United Nations.

Specifically, each of the seven rounds of matches at this World Cup will have a striking motto, and because it was said that the teams “(have) the opportunity to send messages during the games via the team captains’ armbands”, it sounded as if FIFA didn’t want to just a bunch of hashtags, but also launching their own line of pads.

In detail it read like this:

Group Stage Round 1

: #FootballUnitesTheWorld

Group Stage Round 2

: #SaveThePlanet

Group Stage, Round 3

: #ProtectChildren, #ShareTheMeal

Round of 16:

#EducationForAll, #FootballForSchools,

Quarterfinals:

#NoDiscrimination

Semifinals:

#BeActive #BringTheMoves

Third Place Match and Final:

Football is Joy, Passion, Hope, Love and Peace - #FootballUnitesTheWorld”

There was hardly anyone among the recipients of the message who did not see this as a reaction to the announcement by what were originally eight European nations that they had qualified to compete at the World Cup with the “One Love” armband.

Especially since the logo in the mail seemed more than just a little ajar – not to say: hijacked: A heart, but in which there was a black and white ball instead of colorful stripes.

FIFA's initiative could be understood in three ways.

First: to make the “One Love” message, which is presumably not so popular in Qatar, one of many and thus to dim its radiance.

Secondly, as an attempt to make an offer to those who might be fickle, after all, the French captain Hugo Lloris recently stated that he would refrain from using the "One Love" armband as long as it was not approved by FIFA - out of respect for the Qatari one Culture.

Or thirdly: as an undisguised threat that, in addition to the officially approved slogans, no other slogans would be accepted as apolitical – and thus subject to sanctions under FIFA regulations.