“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,” the soccer associations stated in a joint assertion. Three of the groups — England, Wales and the Netherlands — had been scheduled to play Monday.
“We are very frustrated by the FIFA decision which we believe is unprecedented,” the groups added, promising to point out help for “inclusion” in different methods. “As national federations, we can’t put our players in a position where they could face sporting sanctions including bookings.”
Qatar has come underneath scrutiny within the lead-up to the match over its strategy to human rights, together with considerations over the circumstances of migrant staff and the conservative Persian Gulf state’s stance on LGBTQ folks. Sex between males is prohibited in Qatar and punishable by as much as seven years in jail, based on a current U.S. State Department report.
Grant Wahl, an American soccer author, stated he was stopped by a safety guard Monday on the USA vs. Wales recreation for carrying a shirt with a rainbow on it.
Wahl later stated he was detained for half an hour in an “unnecessary ordeal” however finally allowed into the stadium. “Go gays,” he wrote on Twitter with a rainbow emoji.
I’m OK, however that was an pointless ordeal. Am within the media middle, nonetheless carrying my shirt. Was detained for almost half an hour. Go gays ? https://t.co/S3INBoCz89
— Subscribe to GrantWahl.com (@GrantWahl) November 21, 2022
Peter Bossaert, CEO of the Belgian Football Association, instructed native media on Monday that the nationwide group had been compelled by FIFA to take away the phrase “Love” from its away kit — even though it was fastened to the inside of the shirt.
“The word LOVE must disappear,” Bossaert told Belgian reporters on Monday.
“It’s sad,” he said. “But FIFA leaves us no choice.”
The OneLove campaign was originally conceived by the Dutch soccer team, and at first 10 European teams signed up for it in September. They agreed that their captains would wear a rainbow armband to send a message against discrimination and promote inclusion.
The Dutch had been the primary to announce publicly that captain Virgil van Dijk wouldn’t put on the armband. “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,” the KNVB, the nation’s soccer affiliation, stated in a press release. “We deeply regret that it was not possible to reach a reasonable solution together.
“We stand for the ‘OneLove’ message and will continue to spread it, but our No. 1 priority at the World Cup is to win the games. 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.”
Penalizing team captains before the games begin would impose a competitive disadvantage from the outset, with a second yellow card during a match bringing ejection.
While the basis of any possible FIFA sanctions against players has not been made public, according to Article 4.3 of the FIFA equipment regulations, no items of clothing or equipment can be worn if they are considered “dangerous, offensive or indecent” or include “political, religious or personal slogans.”
FIFA has proposed that national captains wear armbands from its separate “No Discrimination” campaign that it had planned to begin with the quarterfinals.
In a separate statement Monday, the global soccer organization said it had brought forward the beginning of its No Discrimination campaign to allow all 32 national captains to wear that armband throughout the entire tournament.
“FIFA is an inclusive organization that wants to put football to the benefit of society by supporting good and legitimate causes, but it has to be done within the framework of the competition regulations which are known to everyone,” the statement said.
The Football Association of Wales expressed frustration and disappointment in a statement, but added, “We remain with the belief that football is for everyone and stand with our LGBTQ+ members of the Welsh football family. Football for everyone.”
The Football Supporters’ Association, a group representing fans from England and Wales, said in a statement that LGBTQ fans felt angry and betrayed by FIFA’s decision.
“Today we feel contempt for an organization that has shown its true values by giving the yellow card to players and a red card for tolerance,” the group said.
In an interview with BBC Radio, former England captain Alan Shearer said that while the timing of the decision was “not fair” on players, he would have worn the armband anyway.
“That would pose a bigger question and a bigger problem for FIFA than them not wearing it, and that’s what I would do, if I could,” Shearer said.
And though the OneLove armband wasn’t worn on the pitch, it was worn on the sidelines during the England-Iran game: Alex Scott, an English sports pundit who formerly played for the England women’s team, sported the armband on Monday.