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(OT) England, Wales & other European nations will not wear OneLove armbands
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Pelle Svanslös
Nov 21, 2022, 8:19:11 AM11/21/22
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England, Wales and other European nations will not wear the OneLove
armband at the World Cup in Qatar because of the threat of players being
booked.
A joint statement from seven football associations said they could not
put their players "in a position where they could face sporting sanctions".
"We are very frustrated by the Fifa decision, which we believe is
unprecedented," the statement read.
"Fifa has been very clear that it will impose sporting sanctions if our
captains wear the armbands on the field of play," the statement added.
"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."
It was announced in September that the captains of 10 European nations -
England, Wales, Belgium, Denmark, France, Germany, Norway, Sweden,
Switzerland and the Netherlands - would wear a OneLove armband at
Nations League games and the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.
The Netherlands began the OneLove campaign before Euro 2020 to promote
diversity and inclusion, and as a message against discrimination.
Same-sex relationships and the promotion of same-sex relationships are
criminalised in Qatar.
In a statement, the Dutch FA said it was abandoning the plan to wear the
armband "with a heavy heart" following Fifa's decision to impose sanctions.
"This goes against the spirit of our sport that connects millions of
people," it added. "Together with the other countries involved, we will
take a critical look at our relationship with Fifa in the coming period."
Fifa's warning that it would impose sanctions on any captain who wore a
OneLove armband has been criticised, with the Football Supporters'
Association saying it felt "betrayed" by football's world governing body.
"Today we feel contempt for an organisation that has shown its true
values by giving the yellow card to players and the red card to
tolerance," it added in a statement.
"Never again should a World Cup be handed out solely on the basis of
money and infrastructure.
"No country which falls short on LGBT+ rights, women's rights, workers'
rights, or any other universal human right, should be given the honour
of hosting a World Cup."
3LionsPride, an England fan group for LGBTQ+ supporters, said the
decision was "more than disappointing", adding that captains' "basic
rights to freedom of speech and expression" were being crushed by Fifa.
"Players and fans should not have had to bear the burden of Fifa's
mistakes and we will continue to support Gareth Southgate, and his team,
as they look to explore other ways to support inclusion in football,"
the statement added.
Former England captain Alan Shearer told BBC Radio 5 Live the timing of
the decision was "not fair" on players, adding he would have defied Fifa
and worn the armband anyway.
"I would obviously have spoken to the manager and my preference would
have been to say: 'I'll wear the armband and I'll take the hit,' he said.
"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."
Analysis
Jack Murley, presenter of the BBC's LGBT Sport Podcast, speaking on BBC
Radio 5 Live
If you're Harry Kane and you can risk a booking and miss the World Cup
final by wearing this armband, you can see why he wouldn't necessarily
do it. The flip side to that is what's the point of a protest if it
doesn't actually make a splash; if there are no stakes to it?
It's not as if players do not have power and influence in this
situation, but it's a difficult one to ask them to exert on the biggest
stage of their lives.
The question really should be why have they been put in this situation
on the day of the game? Fifa has known for months and months they wanted
to wear this armband. Why are we only having this conversation now?
We've now got to a point where Fifa has spent years saying this World
Cup is for everyone. It's now essentially said that if you wear an
armband symbolising that it's OK to be gay, you'll get booked.
Fifa has a lot of explaining to do about how those two things marry up.
There will be a lot of LGBTQ+ people who are not only entirely
unsurprised by this decision, but also absolutely furious.
It feels like a gut punch that a symbol for who you are being OK can get
you booked at football's greatest tournament. That is an extraordinary
place to arrive at in 2022.
https://www.bbc.com/sport/football/63699477
The corrupt Fifa must go.
--
"And off they went, from here to there,
The bear, the bear, and the maiden fair"
-- Traditional
armband at the World Cup in Qatar because of the threat of players being
booked.
A joint statement from seven football associations said they could not
put their players "in a position where they could face sporting sanctions".
"We are very frustrated by the Fifa decision, which we believe is
unprecedented," the statement read.
"Fifa has been very clear that it will impose sporting sanctions if our
captains wear the armbands on the field of play," the statement added.
"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."
It was announced in September that the captains of 10 European nations -
England, Wales, Belgium, Denmark, France, Germany, Norway, Sweden,
Switzerland and the Netherlands - would wear a OneLove armband at
Nations League games and the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.
The Netherlands began the OneLove campaign before Euro 2020 to promote
diversity and inclusion, and as a message against discrimination.
Same-sex relationships and the promotion of same-sex relationships are
criminalised in Qatar.
In a statement, the Dutch FA said it was abandoning the plan to wear the
armband "with a heavy heart" following Fifa's decision to impose sanctions.
"This goes against the spirit of our sport that connects millions of
people," it added. "Together with the other countries involved, we will
take a critical look at our relationship with Fifa in the coming period."
Fifa's warning that it would impose sanctions on any captain who wore a
OneLove armband has been criticised, with the Football Supporters'
Association saying it felt "betrayed" by football's world governing body.
"Today we feel contempt for an organisation that has shown its true
values by giving the yellow card to players and the red card to
tolerance," it added in a statement.
"Never again should a World Cup be handed out solely on the basis of
money and infrastructure.
"No country which falls short on LGBT+ rights, women's rights, workers'
rights, or any other universal human right, should be given the honour
of hosting a World Cup."
3LionsPride, an England fan group for LGBTQ+ supporters, said the
decision was "more than disappointing", adding that captains' "basic
rights to freedom of speech and expression" were being crushed by Fifa.
"Players and fans should not have had to bear the burden of Fifa's
mistakes and we will continue to support Gareth Southgate, and his team,
as they look to explore other ways to support inclusion in football,"
the statement added.
Former England captain Alan Shearer told BBC Radio 5 Live the timing of
the decision was "not fair" on players, adding he would have defied Fifa
and worn the armband anyway.
"I would obviously have spoken to the manager and my preference would
have been to say: 'I'll wear the armband and I'll take the hit,' he said.
"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."
Analysis
Jack Murley, presenter of the BBC's LGBT Sport Podcast, speaking on BBC
Radio 5 Live
If you're Harry Kane and you can risk a booking and miss the World Cup
final by wearing this armband, you can see why he wouldn't necessarily
do it. The flip side to that is what's the point of a protest if it
doesn't actually make a splash; if there are no stakes to it?
It's not as if players do not have power and influence in this
situation, but it's a difficult one to ask them to exert on the biggest
stage of their lives.
The question really should be why have they been put in this situation
on the day of the game? Fifa has known for months and months they wanted
to wear this armband. Why are we only having this conversation now?
We've now got to a point where Fifa has spent years saying this World
Cup is for everyone. It's now essentially said that if you wear an
armband symbolising that it's OK to be gay, you'll get booked.
Fifa has a lot of explaining to do about how those two things marry up.
There will be a lot of LGBTQ+ people who are not only entirely
unsurprised by this decision, but also absolutely furious.
It feels like a gut punch that a symbol for who you are being OK can get
you booked at football's greatest tournament. That is an extraordinary
place to arrive at in 2022.
https://www.bbc.com/sport/football/63699477
The corrupt Fifa must go.
--
"And off they went, from here to there,
The bear, the bear, and the maiden fair"
-- Traditional
The Iceberg
Nov 22, 2022, 11:05:17 AM11/22/22
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LedZep IgaSwanTech
Nov 22, 2022, 1:23:39 PM11/22/22
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