According to DFB President Bernd Neuendorf, the world football association FIFA must face up to its responsibility for those workers who died or were injured during the construction of the World Cup stadiums in Qatar and who can no longer support their families. This is also a responsibility that the DFB must face up to, said Neuendorf on Monday evening at the presentation of the Julius Hirsch Prize of the German Football Association (DFB) in Dresden.

He also spoke to FIFA President Gianni Infantino about it during his trip to Qatar. The allocation of the tournament was viewed very critically. "I think the tournament has already changed the sport," said Neuendorf. In the future, the award will also have to be based on human rights criteria. That will be an important criterion for FIFA. "That means the sport has become more political," explained Neuendorf and spoke of a good development. Football must raise its voice. The World Cup in the emirate begins on November 20th and ends on December 18th.

This year, the DFB awarded the Julius Hirsch Prize to the district league club SV Blau-Weiss Grana from Zeitz in Saxony-Anhalt. The association had taken in many refugees. Other award winners are the learning location stadium from Berlin and the network remembrance work in the context of Hamburger SV. The Duisburg pedagogue and author Burak Yilmaz from Duisburg received the honorary award.

With the award, the DFB has commemorated Jewish victims of the Nazi regime every year since 2005. People, associations and institutions are honored for their commitment against anti-Semitism and discrimination. It is named after Julius Hirsch. He was a DFB national player, Olympic participant and two-time German champion. In 1943 he was murdered in Auschwitz.

Communication DFB