FIFA threatened the players with a yellow card if they wore the award in favor of LGTBI rights, and the federations have finally relented
FIFA gets away with it again. The major football association has banned the federations from wearing the ‘One Love’ bracelet representing the fight for LGTBI rights at the World Cup in Qatar. Harry Kane, Gareth Bale, Virgil Van Dijk and the captains who decided to wear the award risk a yellow card at the start of the game, a big risk for many of these players.
On the morning of this Monday, the federations of England, Wales, Belgium, Denmark, Germany, the Netherlands and Switzerland released a joint statement making it clear that they cannot risk having their captains penalized for wearing an armband and that’s why they won’t wear them during the World Cup in Qatar.
They also point out that “we are very frustrated with FIFA’s decision, which we consider inappropriate.” “Our players and coaches are very disappointed as they are strong advocates of inclusion and we will show our support in another way,” they note at the end of the statement.
Statements of the protagonists before the statement
One of the first to announce that he would be wearing the ‘One Love’ bracelet would be Manuel Neuer. The German goalkeeper said before a training session with his team that he would use it: “This is a new experiment for all of us. This tournament is a great experiment. We are not afraid of the consequences.”
Van Dijk also clarified before knowing the federations’ joint statement that he would wear the rainbow armband, though he qualified that “if I get a card for it, we should discuss it because I don’t like playing with yellow.”
Kane and the England federation were also among the first to support the LGTBI collective at the controversial World Cup in Qatar. Despite being willing to take the risk of drawing a card, the captain eventually also joined the declaration of the various federations and will not wear the rainbow award either.
Source: La Verdad
I am Shawn Partain, a journalist and content creator working for the Today Times Live. I specialize in sports journalism, writing articles that cover major sporting events and news stories. With a passion for storytelling and an eye for detail, I strive to be accurate and insightful in my work.