Germany captain Manuel Neuer did not jump at the end of the field with the rainbow bracelet that banned the highest football body in Qatar
FIFA banned the charismatic goalkeeper Manuel Neur from wearing the rainbow bracelet at the start of the ‘Mannschaft’ against Japan and the entire German team protested before his World Cup debut in Qatar in a historic and significant gesture. For the official photo of the clash, the eleven starting football players against the Japanese cover their mouths as a complaint about the repressive measure of the international organization.
Neuer ultimately did not dare to defy the body led by Gianni Infantino and ended up not wearing the bracelet with the motto ‘One Love’ that exposed him to an economic sanction and another sporting sanction if he had. He did wear one with the ‘No Discrimination’ motto promoted by FIFA, although he covered it with his sleeve when he took the field and during the match.
The German captain had announced days earlier that he would wear the bracelet and would be willing to pay the fine imposed on him: «We have the absolute support of those responsible of the German Federation and we will continue to represent this initiative. Yes, I accept,” he said before learning of FIFA’s threats.
Shortly after the initiative of the internationals to cover their mouths when posing in the run-up to the game against the Japanese, the German Federation (DFB) spoke on social networks: «With our captaincy, we wanted to set an example of the values that we live in the selection: diversity and mutual respect. Be loud with other nations. This is not a political message: human rights are non-negotiable.” “That should go without saying. But unfortunately it still isn’t. That’s why this post is so important to us. Forbidding us the blindfold is like forbidding our mouth. Our position remains,” he added in a second tweet.
The demands didn’t stop at that gesture from Hansi Flick’s men. For example, the German Interior Minister, Nancy Faeser, appeared in the box of the stadium, next to the authorities of the Asian country, and showed that bracelet of controversy that shakes the Qatari World Cup, that of shame, although in the end some have and others swallowed.
“We did not kneel before FIFA. We understand the disappointment and outrage. We were subjected to extreme blackmail in which we thought we had to make this decision, even though we didn’t want to make it,” justified the DFB communications director, Steffen Simon, about refraining from wearing the bracelet.
It should be remembered that Germany, along with six other teams, announced that they would wear a bracelet with a heart and colors similar, although not identical, to those of the LGBT flag. However, FIFA at one point warned that it would penalize it for being a “political” message.
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.
