The German football players have sent a clear signal to FIFA. What will Infantino say?
Endless political scandals have already become the leitmotif of the World Cup in Qatar. The host country began to be criticized immediately after it received the right to host the tournament, and now they do not give the organizers any rest. FIFA also played a role in what was happening: the federation is trying in vain to resolve the conflict between Western and Eastern cultures.
One of the most high-profile stories in recent times has been the ban on the wearing of rainbow armbands by football players. This decision also affected the German national team, but warnings and threats of fines did not stop the players.
The Germans decided on a bold gesture before the game with Japan. How will Infantino respond?
FIFA ban
The action, called OneLove, was born just a few months ago, but has already gained popularity among top European teams. The example of the Dutch national team, which decided to use the captain’s armband in the colors of the rainbow during the League of Nations match, was followed by representatives of Belgium, Switzerland, Denmark, Germany and other countries.
However, what for Europeans is support for inclusiveness and respect for human rights, for Qataris it is a prison. In the Arab state, for such actions, one can get up to three years of restriction of freedom, and in some cases, be sentenced to death (according to Sharia law). And in FIFA, as it has already become clear, they do not want to go against local traditions.
So a couple of days before the start of the competition, Gianni Infantino decided to deny the teams such self-expression. At the same time, in its statement, the organization says that it supports all legitimate promotions, which include OneLove. But he cannot violate the rules of the competition, and the equipment is part of the rules. So “the captains of all teams must wear the captain’s armbands provided by FIFA.” And if someone disobeys, then sanctions can be applied to the team: from a fine to the national team to a warning and removal of a specific player, that is, the captain.
In general, it is impossible to formally find fault with FIFA’s position, but the Germans were offended.
Immediate response
Although FIFA offered the national teams an alternative – to wear No Discrimination bandages, the teams did not like it. Before the starting whistle of the match against Japan, the German players took a team photo and showed a characteristic gesture. The player put their hand to their mouth, thereby unambiguously expressing their reaction: they are shutting our mouths.
A transcript of this action appeared from the officials of the German national team:
“With our captaincy, we wanted to set an example of the values we live by in the national team: diversity and mutual respect. Be loud with other nations. This is not a political message: human rights are non-negotiable. This goes without saying. Unfortunately, this is still not the case. That’s why this message is so important to us. Forbidding us to use our captain’s armband is like shutting our mouths, the four-time world champions replied.
It is not difficult to understand Flick’s team in this matter, since FIFA is inconsistent in its decisions: it is allowed to kneel as support for the rights of African Americans, but it prohibits multi-colored armbands, hiding behind formal requirements.
Whether Germany’s gesture was political is a rhetorical question. One thing is clear – the tournament in Qatar is finally turning into an arena for statements. And most of them are clearly not about football.
