FIFA’s decision to ban the One Love armband has instantly made the global organization a villain in the Qatar World Cup‘s messy narrative.
The murky waters turned darker when FIFA officials announced their decision to instantly penalize any player wearing the One Love armband in solidarity with the global LGBTQIA movement, with a yellow card.
Originally, 7 nations, including Germany intended to sport the armband in a bid to symbolize their support for the LGBTQIA community. However, following FIFA’s decision, all 7 nations rescinded their plans.
That said, the German national football team did not shy away from expressing their discontentment and anger with the organization’s decision of enforcing a ban.
Germany created a sensational protest against FIFA’s decision while posing for their team photograph prior to the kickoff in their match against Japan today.
The players covered their own mouths with their hands to show the fact that they had, effectively, been gagged by the organization’s draconian decision to penalize players for supporting a crucial human rights movement.
German minister Nancy Faeser wears the One Love armband in Qatar
Clarifying the team’s intention behind the protest, the DFB released a statement saying, “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.”
It is worth noting that Germany is not willing to let FIFA’s oppressive stance take center stage as the country’s national football association prepares to assail the ban on the One Love armband imposed by the international body, at the Court of Arbitration for Sport.
