His name is Alex Scott, he was an Arsenal footballer and will support England’s BBC broadcasts during the World Cup
Most of the European teams – England, Netherlands, Wales, Belgium, Denmark, Germany and Switzerland – came to Qatar ready to protest the policy of the Arab country, where human rights are scarce. They all agreed to wear a rainbow bracelet with the words ‘One Love’ to claim sexual freedom and the LGBT community persecuted by local authorities. In Qatar, being gay is illegal and punishable by several years in prison.
Months before the World Cup, the organizers themselves already warned fans planning to go to the country about the obligation to “respect” their “conservative and modest” culture. “Public displays of affection are frowned upon, and so is everyone,” Al Khater, president of the organizing committee, said in an interview on CNN. The intention of the players was to ignore Qatar. The captains were supposed to wear the rainbow armband, but FIFA stepped in to prevent this. Under the threat of sports sanctions, he warned the European federations of the risk they ran if they showed the ribbon with the colors of the LGTB collective. Instead, the top football leaders proposed a black armband with the motto ‘no to discrimination’. A measure to satisfy everyone who did not take effect.
Despite the fact that the European federations and players followed FIFA’s orders, the fans and journalists accredited to the World Cup in Qatar did not. And this was demonstrated by Alex Scott, a BBC commentator and former British footballer. Hours after FIFA vetoed the rainbow bracelet, the young woman left the field with the ribbon around her arm. A gesture that was widely applauded on social media. Scott, an English footballer with a career spanning 18 years with clubs such as Arsenal (where he played in three different spells), Birmingham and Boston Breakers, began his media career while still playing football, appearing on various networks and shows such as BBC Sport or Sky. Sport. The fight for equality has always been clear. As a footballer and now also in terms of communication: «Progress is being made, but we still have a long way to go, in all sectors. The conversation is very important and we need to keep talking about it.” And she has decided to transfer the fight to Qatar, where the rights of women and the LGTB collective are not respected.
She is not alone in this claim. The German journalist Claudia Neumann, narrator of the World Cup on ZDF, also appeared on the screen wearing a shirt with the colors of the rainbow flag. This march for human rights was joined by fans and players from Iran, England’s first rival. Fans carried banners with messages such as ‘liberate women’s lives’, ‘international solidarity’ or ‘tell our story’, in protest after the murder of Mahsa Amini for wearing the headscarf incorrectly. The football players did not sing the national anthem directly.
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.
