Former German player Thomas Hitzlsperger believes a boycott of the FIFA World Cup in Qatar does not make sense at this point, with the tournament starting on November 20.

“The stadiums are ready, everything has been prepared, and the damage, such as the deaths in connection to the construction of the stadiums, can no longer be repaired,” he said Monday.

“We have to continue addressing the irregularities and point to the fact that how the World Cup has materialised is not working,” Hitzlsperger added.

He said that a boycott is not a constructive solution anymore.

“If everyone involved will participate (in the boycott), then ‘ok’. But if only a few were to take part, that would not be effective.”

After the end of his career, Hitzlsperger came out as homosexual and took a position at the German football federation (DFB) as an ambassador for diversity.

About the illegality of homosexuality in Qatar, he said, “When we talk about homosexual rights, such as the fact that two men aren’t allowed to show affection to each other in public, we must also remember that a man and a woman aren’t allowed to do that either.”

(dpa/NAN)