Kick It Out chief slams FIFA’S ‘abuse of power’
FIFA has been accused of a “sinister abuse of power” in the Onelove armband row by Kick It Out.
The captains of seven nations, including England and Wales, had been due to wear the rainbow-coloured anti-discrimination armbands at the world cup in Qatar, a country where same-sex relationships are criminalised.
However, the plans were dropped when it became apparent in the hours before England's first match of the finals against Iran on Monday that sporting sanctions would be imposed.
It is understood a booking to the captain wearing the band would have only been the starting point of the sanctions, with harry kane, Gareth Bale and the other five skippers also set to have been prevented from entering the pitch wearing it.
Germany protested against FIFA'S stance by covering their mouths for a team photo before their match against Japan on Wednesday, to highlight how they felt silenced.
Sanjay Bhandari, Kick It Out chairman, responded to a tweet suggesting the Onelove captains faced “unlimited liability” over the armbands and tweeted: “What FIFA did is beyond failing to live their values and is a sinister abuse of power designed to silence, hence the German gag protest. I guess if you hang around autocratic dictators long enough, you start picking up some of their habits.”
FIFA president Gianni In fan ti no received an order of Friendship medal from Russian president vladimir Putin in 2019, and has been accused of bowing to q atari state sensitivities over the sale of alcohol at stadiums during the World Cup and in the armband row.