World Cup: Armband ban 'unprecedented' from Fifa, says German football boss
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The armbands had widely been viewed as a symbolic protest against laws in Qatar, where homosexuality is illegal.
PHOTO: EPA-EFE
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DOHA – German Football Association president Bernd Neuendorf said on Monday that Fifa’s threats of on-field sanctions for wearing the “One Love” armband were “an unprecedented event in World Cup history”.
Neuendorf confirmed an earlier announcement that Germany captain Manuel Neuer would not wear the rainbow-themed armband, which supports LGBTQ rights, at the tournament.
The armbands had widely been viewed as a symbolic protest against laws in the host nation Qatar, where homosexuality is illegal.
Fifa had “threatened on-field sanctions”, believed to be yellow or red cards, against players who wore them on the pitch.
“We will not place the weight of Fifa’s confrontation on the back of Manuel Neuer,” Neuendorf said, telling reporters the DFB “was very frustrated with Fifa’s decision”.
Neuendorf said the decision to threaten on-field sanctions was “a show of force from Fifa”.
While Fifa has previously discouraged teams from making “political statements”, the organisation’s statutes are unclear on whether these could lead to on-pitch consequences.
Germany were not the only team upset by Fifa’s decision.
“We were prepared to pay fines that would normally apply to breaches of kit regulations and had a strong commitment to wearing the armband,” said the federations of England, Wales, Belgium, Denmark, Germany, the Netherlands and Switzerland.
“As national federations, we can’t put our players in a position where they could face sporting sanctions including bookings, so we have asked the captains not to attempt to wear the armbands in Fifa World Cup games.
“We are very frustrated by the Fifa decision which we believe is unprecedented.”
Danish coach Kasper Hjulmand said a move to punish teams for the use of the armband carried a “controversial message”.
“I can’t see the problem to be honest,” he said. “For me, it’s also a big question mark.”
His opposite number on Tuesday, Tunisia coach Jalel Kadri, was more circumspect, saying: “I think everyone has spoken about this, we are in an Arab country and we have to respect the culture.” AFP, REUTERS
