Social media erupts after German broadcaster compares Qatari men’s attire to bathrobes
Associated Press
Former Germany forward Sandro Wagner is under fire for a disparaging remark he made about Qatari men’s traditional attire while commentating for TV during Germany and Spain’s World Cup match on Sunday.
Wagner was commentating on the teams’ 1-1 draw for German broadcaster ZDF when he said in the 79th minute he thought one end of the Al Bayt Stadium in Al Khor was full of German fans.
“Only then did I realize that they are the Qatari bathrobes,” Wagner said
QATAR’S RULING EMIR BERATES ‘UNPRECEDENTED CAMPAIGN’ OF CRITICISM AGAINST WORLD CUP HOST SITE
Wagner was referring to the thaub, the traditional white full-length robes with long sleeves worn by many men in the region.
Wagner’s comments led to furious reactions on social media.
ZDF provided a succinct statement in response to some of the Twitter complaints: “Unfortunately, Sandro Wagner’s remarks regarding the thaub came up during a contentious part of the game. He is not allowed (to say that). We’ll discuss it.”
Wagner previously made eight appearances for Germany and played for a variety of German clubs, including Bayern Munich.
During the match, Qatari supporters demonstrated against the German team by covering their mouths and holding images of Mesut zil, a former Germany player who became the target of racist taunts in Germany after the team’s early elimination from the 2018 World Cup.
READ MORE
- World Cup 2022: Iran complain to Fifa over flag change on social media by US
- Celebrities blasting ‘greedy’ David Beckham over over multimillion-pound Qatar World Cup deal from Joe Lycett to Will Young
- Robbie Williams stands by decision to perform in Qatar for the World Cup despite backlash
