England, Wales and other European countries will not wear a badge. One Love” – one love – To support the LGBT community in the World Cup matches in Qatar due to the threat of awarding yellow cards to players.
England captain Harry Kane and Wales captain Gareth Bale had planned to wear the armband during matches with the aim of “encouraging diversity and inclusion”.
A joint statement issued by seven football associations said they might not place their players “in a position where they might face sporting sanctions”.
“We are deeply disappointed by FIFA’s decision, which we believe is unprecedented,” the statement read.
The federations of England and Wales, Belgium, Denmark, Germany, the Netherlands and Switzerland said they had written to FIFA in September to inform them regarding the badge. One LoveBut she did not receive a reply.
“FIFA has been very clear that it will impose sporting sanctions if national team captains wear armbands on the field,” the statement added.
“We were willing to pay fines that normally apply to breaches of group regulations, and we had a strong obligation to wear the armband,” he said. “However, we cannot put our players in a situation where they might be given yellow cards, or even forced off the pitch.”
In response, FIFA prematurely launched its own “No Discrimination” campaign, which was to start from the quarter-finals. The Captain will now be allowed to wear the ‘No Discrimination’ badge for the duration of the tournament.
what is a badge One LoveOne Love“؟
Last September, it was announced that the captains of 10 European countries – England, Wales, Belgium, Denmark, France, Germany, Norway, Sweden, Switzerland and the Netherlands – would wear the armband. One Love”In the Nations League and World Cup 2022 matches in Qatar.
The Netherlands launched a One Loveahead of Euro 2020 with a goal “Promoting diversity and inclusion, and as a message once morest discrimination “.
The law in Qatar, a Muslim country, criminalizes homosexuality and its promotion.
On Saturday, FIFA president Gianni Infantino accused the West of “hypocrisy” in its reporting on Qatar’s human rights record.
The Dutch Football Association (KNVB) said in a statement that it would abandon the plan to wear the armband “with a heavy heart” following FIFA’s decision to impose sanctions.
“It goes once morest the spirit of our sport, which connects millions of people,” he added. “Together with the other countries concerned, we will take a critical look at our relationship with FIFA in the coming period,” he added.
“We are disappointed. We are disappointed. But we continue to believe that football is for everyone and we stand with the LGBTQ and transgender members of the Welsh football family,” the Football Association of Wales said.
“betrayal” By fifa
It offered FIFA warning that it would sanction any captain who wears the armband. One LoveIt was sharply criticized, with the Football Supporters’ Union saying it felt “betrayed” by FIFA.
“Today we feel contempt for an organization that has shown its true values by giving players a yellow card and a red card for tolerance,” he added in a statement.
“Never once more should the right to host the World Cup be awarded solely on the basis of money and infrastructure,” he said.
“No country that fails to support LGBT rights, women’s rights, workers’ rights or any other universal human right should be given the honor of hosting the World Cup,” he added.
Three Lines Pride, an England fan group made up of LGBTQ and trans supporters, said the decision was “more than disappointing”, adding that FIFA had trampled on “fundamental rights to freedom of opinion and expression”.
Anti-discrimination campaign group Kick It Out also condemned the decision as continuing to “highlight FIFA’s failure to address the concerns of both human rights and LGBTQ+ groups in the build-up to this tournament”.
“Players and fans should not have to bear the burden of FIFA’s mistakes and we will continue to support Gareth Southgate and his team as they look to explore other ways to support inclusion in football,” it added in a statement.
Former England captain Alan Shearer told BBC Radio 5 Live the timing of the decision was “unfair” to the players, adding that he would have defied FIFA and worn the armband anyway.
“Naturally, I would have spoken to the coach and would have preferred to say: ‘I will wear the armband and bear the consequences’,” he said.
“It would have been a bigger question and a bigger problem for FIFA than not wearing them, and that’s what I would do if I might,” he added.
Jack Morley, presenter of the BBC’s LGBTQ and trans sports podcast, speaking on BBC Radio 5 Live
If you’re Harry Kane and can risk getting a yellow card and missing out on a World Cup final by wearing this armband, you can understand why he wouldn’t necessarily do it. On the other hand, what is the point of a protest if it has no effect in reality; If there are no bets on it?
It’s not as if players don’t have power and influence in this situation, but it’s hard to ask them to do their best on the biggest stage of their lives.
In fact, the question should be: Why were they put in this position on match day? FIFA has known for months and months that they want to wear this armband. Why are we only having this conversation now?
We have now reached a point where FIFA spent years saying that this World Cup is for everyone. Now it’s basically said that if you wear a badge that says it’s okay to be gay, you’ll be banned from playing.
FIFA has to do a lot of explaining how these two things come together. There will be a lot of LGBTQ people who are not completely surprised by this decision, but also completely outraged.
It seems like a blow to make you a symbol of your acceptance as you are punished with a yellow card in the greatest tournament of football. It is an exceptional situation that we are going through in the year 2022.