World Cup kit protest
Danes’ supplier takes stand against Qatar... will England’s follow suit?
ENGLAND sponsors are under growing pressure to take a stand against the human rights controversies overshadowing the Qatar World Cup after Denmark’s kit manufacturers said they ‘don’t wish to be visible’ during the tournament.
Danish sportswear firm Hummel yesterday released a monochrome kit, which camouflages their logo, for the tournament in protest against the host country.
Other companies are tipped to follow suit, although it is unlikely that England’s kit manufacturers Nike will take similar action. The sportswear giants have contracts with several teams in the tournament. Hummel only work with Denmark, whose training-kit sponsors have also withdrawn their logos to make room for messages critical of Qatar.
Ben Peppi, a sports commercial expert at JMW Solicitors, told Sportsmail: ‘This is a watershed moment for the World Cup, a clear stance — it’s a very powerful PR message from Hummel that definitely puts pressure on others to follow suit. This won’t be the last company to do this — it’s a huge stand against FIFA.’
Barclays, Disney, EE, Coca-Cola, PayPal and M&S, are listed on the FA’s website as sponsors. It is yet to be seen if any will take a similar stand.
A Hummel statement read: ‘With the Danish team’s jerseys, we wanted to send a dual message. They are not only inspired by Euro 92, but also a protest against Qatar and its human rights record. That’s why we’ve toned down all the details for Denmark’s new World Cup jerseys. We don’t wish to be visible during a tournament that has cost thousands of people their lives.’