Bierhoff: Beer ban leaves a bitter taste

AL SHAMAL (Qatar): The timing of a beer ban announced two days before the World Cup start this week was unfortunate and would create unease among fans, Germany team director Oliver Bierhoff said.

Bierhoff also said FIFA’S plan to use a number of captains’ armbands with different slogans was equally baffling given that Germany and some other European nations would wear their own antidiscrimination ‘One Love’ armbands to promote inclusion.

For years, Qatar’s tournament organisers had said alcohol would be accessible to fans at the tournament, but world football’s governing body FIFA made a lastminute reversal on Friday, two days before today’s kickoff.

This World Cup is the first to be held in a Muslim country with strict controls on alcohol, the consumption of which is banned in public.

“This is indeed an issue,” Bierhoff said yesterday. “It is what I have said also about planning in relation to the captains’ armbands.

“Such a short-notice decision (on beer) is unfortunate and creates unease,” Bierhoff said.

“This (beer) is a part of the tournament but I cannot really understand the decision and the timing because there was enough time to take such a decision earlier.”

Qatar was awarded the World Cup 12 years ago.

Bierhoff said he was equally surprised by FIFA’S latest armbands plan, unveiled earlier yesterday, again criticising the football body’s short-notice announcement.

“I heard about that and the short notice is a bit surprising and it’s as if FIFA does not have a clear position.”

“We have a clear position. I will see how this develops and we will discuss with the other nations from Europe. We expect to be allowed to wear the (One Love) armband,” Bierhoff added.