The German national football coach, Joachim Löw, considers that the coronavirus pandemic is a sign that the Earth is "defending itself a little bit" against modern society, and it should be an alarm signal for people to stop focusing only on "power, greed, and profit."
Löw held a press videoconference this Wednesday, a day after the European Nations Cup was postponed until next year due to the coronavirus.
"The last few days have left me very thoughtful. The world has experienced a collective weariness, not only individuals but everyone," said the 60-year-old strategist. "I have felt that the Earth seems to defend itself against people who always think they can do everything and believe they know everything."
Löw praised the decision to cancel Germany's friendly matches scheduled for this month against Spain and Italy, as well as to postpone the European Nations Cup.
- Ricardo Vasconcellos Rosado: Big money is killing football
"People's health and safety must be prioritized," he reasoned.
In the Bundesliga, activity has been suspended until April 2.
Löw also criticized politicians, considering that they do not prioritize people's needs as they should.
"The pace at which people operated in recent years was unsustainable. Power, greed, and profit, the obsession with achieving the best results and setting records were in the forefront," he said. "Environmental disasters in Australia or elsewhere barely affected us, and diseases like Ebola in Africa were somehow stuck. Now we have something that affects all of humanity."
The German national team announced on Wednesday morning that it would donate €2.5 million ($2.75 million) to help those affected by the virus. (D)