Sports
Strange stat shows Yankees’ Ryan Weathers has the worst luck in New York right now
Ryan Weathers of the Yankees has not seen any runs scored in his four starts this season.
Yahoo Sports1 min read
Sports
German top official 'not over the moon' in World Cup anticipation
TL;DR
Hans-Joachim Watzke, President of the German Football League, expressed a lack of enthusiasm for the upcoming World Cup due to the current social and political climate. He noted that while he was initially excited, recent circumstances have dampened his spirits.
Hans-Joachim Watzke, President of the German Football League (DFL), speaks at the DFL's New Year's reception at the Palmengarten clubhouse. Florian Wiegand/dpa
German Football Federation vice-president Hans-Joachim Watzke is finding it difficult to get in a good World Cup spirit given the current social and political climate.
Watzke told Wednesday's Ruhr-Nachrichten paper that “I was really looking forward to it,” but that "given the circumstances, I’m not exactly over the moon about it.”
The head of the German Football League and former Borussia Dortmund CEO did not elaborate but there has been criticism on the administration of United States president Donald Trump, ranging from their crackdown on illegal immigrants to the Iran war.
There have been calls to boycott the June 11-July 19 tournament the US co-hosts with Mexico and Canada but Watzke dismissed this.
“If we’re wise, we’ll leave the political assessments to the politicians and focus on sport. Because sport also has a role to play: bringing people together – even across national borders,” Watzke said.
He said he hopes that fans travelling to the US will engage in an “exchange” with US citizens and "perhaps people there will also realise that there are people here who are concerned about the US.”
Looking at the German team, Watzke said it is "certainly not among the two or three top favourites" but "among a group of teams that can get into a flow during a tournament and then achieve a lot.
"We have a very decent team," Watzke said.
Q&A
Why is Hans-Joachim Watzke not excited about the World Cup?
Watzke cited the current social and political climate as reasons for his lack of enthusiasm for the World Cup.
What criticisms has Watzke mentioned regarding the U.S. administration?
Watzke referenced criticisms of the U.S. administration's policies, including their crackdown on illegal immigration and involvement in the Iran war.
Who is Hans-Joachim Watzke and what is his role in football?
Hans-Joachim Watzke is the President of the German Football League (DFL) and a former CEO of Borussia Dortmund.
