Qatar 2022: 7 European groups ditch One Love armband plans following yellow card menace from FIFA

FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022: In a joint assertion, 7 European international locations, together with England and the Netherlands, stated they’re ditching the plans of their captains sporting One Love armbands on the match. It stated the FIFA had threatened to ebook captains who put on the stated arm band throughout the matches.

New Delhi,UPDATED: Nov 21, 2022 16:14 IST

Harry Kane with an anti-discriminatory armband within the lead-up to the FIFA World Cup (AP Photo)

By India Today Web Desk: England, Wales, Netherlands, Belgium, Switzerland, Germany, and Denmark have determined in opposition to carrying the “One Love” armband on the FIFA World Cup after world soccer governing FIFA threatened the groups with sanctions, which included yellow playing cards for captains. The 7 European groups had determined to sport the One Love armband as an announcement in opposition to the remedy of LGBTQ communities in Qatar, the place homosexuality is unlawful.

Notably, England captain Harry Kane and Netherlands captain Virgil van Dijk had stated forward of their matches on Monday that they’d be sporting the One Love armbands.

However, in a joint assertion, the 7 groups stated on Monday that they have been pissed off by FIFA resolution, which they believed is unprecedented. The Dutch FA stated FIFA had made it clear that captains carrying the stated armband would obtain yellow playing cards at first of the match.

England are set to face Iran in a Group B match on Monday whereas the Netherlands play Senegal of their World Cup Group A opener.

“We are very frustrated by the Fifa decision which we believe is unprecedented,” a joint assertion learn, as quoted by the BBC.

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Elaborating that the 7 groups and FIFA couldn’t attain an settlement over using the One Love armband, the Dutch FA expressed its disappointment and stated it might consider its relationship with the worldwide soccer governing physique sooner or later.

‘AGAINST THE SPIRIT OF THE SPORT’

“Today, hours before the first game, it has been made clear to us from FIFA (officially) that the captain will receive a yellow card if he wears the OneLove captain’s armband. We deeply regret that it was not possible to reach a reasonable solution together,” the Dutch FA assertion stated.

“We stand for the OneLove message and will continue to spread it, but our number one priority at the World Cup is to win the games. Then you don’t want the captain to start the match with a yellow card. That is why it is with a heavy heart that we as a UEFA working group, KNVB and as a team had to decide to abandon our plan.

“As beforehand introduced, the KNVB would have paid a potential positive for carrying the OneLove captain’s armband, however that FIFA desires to punish us on the sector for this has by no means been seen. This goes in opposition to the spirit of our sport that connects tens of millions of individuals. Together with the opposite international locations concerned, we’ll take a crucial have a look at our relationship with FIFA within the coming interval,” it added.

Notably, Qatar has come underneath criticism for its remedy of migrant staff and discrimination. FIFA president Gianni Infantino hit out on the West, saying European international locations have been being hypocritical with their criticism of the Arab nation.

“I’m European. For what we Europeans have been doing around the world in the last 3,000 years, we should be apologising for the next 3,000 years before starting to give moral lessons to people,” Infantino stated.

Published On:

Nov 21, 2022