November 21, (THEWILL) – The OneLove armband that team captains from England and six other nations intended to wear during the World Cup will no longer be worn by players.
The action was taken after FIFA threatened to book captains if they disobeyed rules and made independent statements on social issues rather than adhering to the regulations set forth by the organisation that governs the sport.
The OneLove campaign, which encourages “inclusion and sends a message against discrimination of any kind” gained importance as the tournament in Qatar, a nation where homosexuality is prohibited, approached.
However, the armband will no longer be worn as a result of lengthy negotiations between FIFA and a group of football associations, including those from England, Wales, Belgium, Germany, Denmark, Switzerland, and the Netherlands.
A joint statement about the armbands read: “FIFA has been very clear that it will impose sporting sanctions if our captains wear the armbands on the field of play. As national federations, we can’t put our players in a position where they could face sporting sanctions including bookings, so we have asked the captains not to attempt to wear the armbands in FIFA World Cup games.
“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.
“We are very frustrated by the FIFA decision which we believe is unprecedented – we wrote to FIFA in September informing them of our wish to wear the One Love armband to actively support inclusion in football, and had no response. Our players and coaches are disappointed – they are strong supporters of inclusion and will show support in other ways.”
About the Author
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
