Saturday, November 6th, 2021
Kahn and Hainer with blood shirts
Bad poster waddles Bayern bosses
“For money we wash everything clean”: With this bitterly angry statement, the fans of FC Bayern protest against their own club. The reason for this is the business relationship with the Emirate of Qatar. The criticism is also more than clear visually.
The criticism is as violent as it is clear: At the top Bundesliga match between FC Bayern and SC Freiburg, Munich football fans protested against the record champions’ business relationships with Qatar with a poster. “For money we wash everything clean,” read a large banner that was shown a few minutes after the kick-off of the second half of the game in the south curve.
Under the lettering, CEO Oliver Kahn and club president Herbert Hainer could be seen washing blood-smeared clothes next to a washing machine with the label “FCB AG”. In Kahn’s left hand there was a suitcase full of money with the inscription “You can rely on us”. In his right hand Kahn carries a laundry bag with the imprint “Qatar Airways”, the airline of the emirate.
“I can see that something is hanging there,” said Bayern coach Julian Nagelsmann about the banner when asked at the press conference after the game. Nagelsmann noted that the association was trying to “discuss in dialogue” the things that could be criticized about Qatar. Otherwise, as a coach, he is responsible for things on the field, said the 34-year-old.
Bayern fans have been protesting against FC Bayern’s business relations with Qatar for a long time. In the host country of the 2022 World Cup, the Munich professionals regularly complete their training camp in winter. In addition, the airline Qatar Airways has been a major sponsor of Bavaria for several years.
The emirate is heavily criticized for its lack of human rights. Amnesty International, among others, reports that guest workers are being exploited in the country that will host the soccer World Cup next winter. The discrimination against women and people in the LGBTQ movement is also a point of criticism.