20 years after his life-threatening injury, the French gendarme, Daniel Nivel of the Federal government has received foreign Minister Heiko Maas (SPD), the Federal cross of merit. Nivel had been attacked during the 1998 world Cup in France, German Hooligans brutally.
“you have become a Symbol against hooligan violence, and nationalism,” said Maas in Paris on Tuesday at the residence of the German Ambassador.
“It makes me concerned that you are still suffering from the cowardly attack,” said Maas, to Nivel. DFB, Reinhard Grindel spoke of a nefarious deed. “We are allowed to us with violence, and next to the football field will not accept,” said Grindel.
since the attack, the severely disabled Nivel (63) received the award in front of the Nations-League game of the DFB-Elf against France. The participation of the DFB and Fifa, founded the Daniel-Nivel-Foundation campaigns against football violence and for the German-French friendship.
foreign Ministers of the countries of the game
visited The group game on 21. June 1998, against Yugoslavia (2:2) had raged hundreds of German Hooligans in the Northern French city of Lens. The then-43-year-old policeman Nivel was her worst victims. For several weeks he lay in a coma. Nivel was irreparable brain damage. He is unilaterally paralyzed, blind in one eye. Speaking is difficult for him.
Several hundred thousands of dollars were donated in Germany at the time, for Nivel and his family. Six Hooligans were sentenced to more years in prison.
the Maas and his French counterpart Jean-Yves Le Drian wanted to visit in the evening, the match Germany – France in the Stade de France.
