ESPN: Are you working to create some kind of organization, project, gather people around these challenges that we need to face?
Hitzlsperger: Unfortunately, that hasn’t happened yet. I’ve been thinking about it. Before the World Cup, I went to Nepal to see families of migrant workers, and of course, people donated money. And we tried to help a widow of somebody who died and their children to pay the tuition, school tuition. So that was good. I’m very happy with this, but it’s not on a larger scale because in the end, as you just said, I’m still actively involved in football. I love the game. I watch games. I want to be a part of it. So there isn’t the capacity to just focus on charity work. So I do both. And me as a person, when you ask me, I give you answers, but if you don’t ask me, I focus on watching a football match and doing the best that I can to be successful in the game.
ESPN: So let’s talk about what we could change. We were talking about what to do, what needs to be changed in the football world in terms of inclusion and diversity.
Hitzlsperger: Well, I start with the clubs and at that level, every single club has the responsibility to take care of the people in the club, in the city they are at. I’ve experienced that to a great deal in England and Germany, which was phenomenal, because clubs understand they’re there for to bring people together. And because professional football is so huge, there’s so much money involved.
Clubs have the resources to support the people in the area. And I think that’s very good to start little like in your own community and help people that are on as well office as those who play the game.
