Germany lead armband protests
GERMANY’S players covered their mouths for a World Cup team photograph yesterday in protest at being blocked from wearing an antidiscrimination armband. The side made the gesture as they prepared for kick-off in their opening match against Japan at the Khalifa Stadium.
It followed a joint statement from seven European nations, including Germany plus England and Wales, to drop plans to wear the ‘OneLove’ armband after threats of sporting sanctions from FIFA. The German football federation, the DFB, said in a tweet on its official account: “We wanted to use our captain’s armband to take a stand for values that we hold in the Germany national team: diversity and mutual respect. Together with other nations, we wanted our voice to be heard.
“It wasn’t about making a political statement – human rights are non-negotiable. That should be taken for granted, but it still isn’t the case. That’s why this message is so important to us. Denying us the armband is the same as denying us a voice. We stand by our position.” Germany’s interior minister Nancy Faeser, who was sitting close to FIFA president Gianni Infantino in the VIP box, wore a OneLove armband in support of the national team.
The Football Association has declined to comment on whether it will follow Germany’s lead and make the ‘covered mouth’ gesture before England’s next match against the United States tomorrow.