Goetze to put up boots on auction for refugees

Published September 19, 2015
Mario Goetze — AFP
Mario Goetze — AFP

World Cup winner Mario Goetze plans to raise funds to help Germany's immigrants amidst the on-going crisis by auctioning his playing boots embroidered with the hashtag '#refugeeswelcome'.

The 23-year-old forward scored Bayern Munich's second goal while wearing the special boots in Wednesday's 3-0 win over Olympiakos in their opening Champions League group-stage match.

Goetze, whose extra-time goal allowed Germany to beat Argentina in the World Cup final in Brazil last year, will wear the same embroidered boots again in Saturday's Bundesliga match at Darmstadt.

“Away game at unbeaten Darmstadt and we want three points,” wrote Goetze on his Facebook account.

“I'm gonna play with my #refugeeswelcome shoes again, which will be auctioned at the end of September.”

German champions Bayern have pledged one million euros ($1.1 million) to help the plight of refugees flooding into Germany.

The Bavarian giants are setting up special coaching courses with the City of Munich to provide meals, German lessons and equipment for refugee children.

Around 450,000 refugees have arrived in Germany so far this year with up to one million expected in 2015, according to Germany's Vice Chancellor Sigmar Gabriel.

The majority of the 36 teams in Germany's top two leagues will wear “We're helping! #refugeeswelcome” logos on their shirts this weekend.

The idea is to encourage fans to help, although several second division sides have refused to take part over a dispute with German daily Bild, who initiated the campaign.

Opinion

Editorial

World News Day
Updated 28 Sep, 2024

World News Day

Newsrooms must work on rebuilding readers’ trust. Journalists should build bridges, not divisions, through compassionate, sincere storytelling.
Fake encounters
Updated 28 Sep, 2024

Fake encounters

Police forces in all provinces must take a strong stand against the culture of encounters, and ensure that LEAs’ personnel operate by the book.
National wound
28 Sep, 2024

National wound

PAKISTAN has been plagued with the ulcer of missing persons for decades now, leaving countless families in anguish...
Breathing space
27 Sep, 2024

Breathing space

PAKISTAN’S last-gasp $7bn IMF bailout approved by the multilateral lender more than two months after an agreement...
Kurram flare-up
27 Sep, 2024

Kurram flare-up

A MIXTURE of territorial disputes, tribal differences and sectarian tensions in KP’s Kurram district has turned ...
Dire straits
27 Sep, 2024

Dire straits

THE distressing state of education in Pakistan has once more been cast into the spotlight. The first meeting of the...