It has been confirmed by seven Football Associations – from England, Wales and other European nations – that team captains – including Harry Kane – will not wear the OneLove armband to promote diversity and inclusion at the World Cup in Qatar, due to players being put “in a position where they could face sporting sanctions”.
A joint statement from seven Football Associations said: “We are very frustrated by the FIFA decision which we believe is unprecedented.
“FIFA has been very clear that it will impose sporting sanctions if our captains wear the armbands on the field of play.
“We were prepared to pay fines that would normally apply to breaches of kit regulations and had a strong commitment to wearing the armband.
“However, we cannot put our players in the situation where they might be booked or even forced to leave the field of play.”
In response, FIFA has brought forward its own ‘No Discrimination’ campaign, which had been due to start from the quarter-finals. Captains will now be permitted to wear a ‘No Discrimination’ armband for the duration of the tournament.
In a statement Peter Tatchell, LGBTQ+ and human rights activist, said: “The OneLove armband was the tiniest of gestures. It did not even specifically mention LGBTQ+ people. It was a weak campaign but even that was too much for FIFA, who have bullied the England team to not wear it.
“Two days ago FIFA’s president spoke of inclusivity but this ruling shows his true colours.
“I urge the team captains at their post-match press conferences to spend just 30 seconds to speak out for the rights of women, LGBTQ+ people and migrant workers. That would have a huge impact, reaching a global audience of hundreds of millions of people.
“FIFA have crushed the OneLove campaign with the threat of yellow cards. It’s time to show FIFA and Qatar the red card.”
You must be logged in to post a comment.