World Cup column "Pfannstiel's World": Love, or what?

Love is when you kick anyway.

Manuel Neuer must feel something like this when he is in goal in Qatar without his “One Love” armband.

The Belgians even wanted to come up with this one word in their jersey collar: "Love" - ​​in German "love".

Outrageous.

FIFA banned it.

Was the message too political?

Or even unsportsmanlike?

Sanctions had been threatened in the case of "love".

I recently saw my family doctor, and he told me that in the case of true love, you can actually observe an exceptional state in the brain with imaging methods such as magnetic resonance imaging.

People in love showed increased activity in the brain's reward system - similar to drug addicts.

Then it finally dawned on me: doping!

FIFA's doping controllers struck, must have sensed prohibited substances.

Scientists are still arguing whether people can become addicted to love.

But: resist the beginnings!

FIFA prevents.

Players are not allowed to advertise something like that!

Since I praise myself harmless names like Adidas or Puma.

At least then you know that they don't make their products with love, but with business acumen.

In the spirit of the World Football Association.

And the DFB?

Didn't they announce before the World Cup that they would take a stand and stand up for human rights?

A little thought experiment: Let's assume that both the Spanish and the German team would wear the "One Love" armband when they met this Sunday.

And not just the captains, but the entire team.

Neuer and Busquets would have a second bandage.

How would FIFA react?

Draw a yellow card 22 times?

Or even yellow-red?

Skip the game?

Or postpone?

After the stadium is sold out and the money for the television rights has already flowed?

All because of a armband and a slogan that welcomes everyone?

Because of love for everyone?

The "One Love" bandage as a sign of strength!

As a silent protest against homophobia and as encouragement for all children who dream of a World Cup.

symbol of this World Cup

within a few days .

"One Love" went around the world, but FIFA wanted to prevent that from happening.

If that was not a success, then I no longer understand the world.

What an own goal for FIFA!

Everyone knows "One Love" by now - but who knows what the mascot of Qatar 2022 is called?

There's something spooky about "La'eeb" in its wisdom.

According to FIFA, “Adventurous, cheerful and curious, La'eeb calls on everyone to believe in themselves.” Only those who believe in love may not.

The spell of the world rulers of football hits him.

Somehow anything but la'eebevoll, which sounds a bit like love.

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Love has no place on the pitch, but rather truth, to paraphrase the old warhorse coach Adi Preisler.

And the truth is: football is a billion dollar business.

It is also true that Jamal Musiala was only seven years old when this World Cup was awarded to Qatar.

He ran around the Christmas tree with the trumpet.

So what can Musiala do for FIFA's decision to hold the World Cup in Qatar in 2022?

He, who at the age of 19 is now fulfilling his dream of winning the World Cup.

At the age of seven, he only thought about one love: his love for football.

A Christian Günter, at the peak of his career, is now fulfilling the same dream that every footballer dreams of: the World Cup.

It will probably be the last world championship for Thomas Müller.

And also for Manuel Neuer, who would have worn the notorious bandage at this World Cup, it is the last time that the whole world can watch him on this stage.

The players can't be blamed, as we in society always preach about realizing our dreams.

They're going to Qatar to play football.

Not to make political statements.

Why should our players actually be braver than our politicians?

How much this discussion unsettled the German team could be seen at the start against Japan.

Don't let yourself be silenced - that was the message in the photo before the game.

There was nothing left of this self-confident attitude on the pitch in the last half hour.

The defensive association started to swim like the association leadership in the binding discussion.

The result: Against Spain it's no longer about "One Love", but in terms of football it's about head and neck.

Recorded by Michael Wittershagen