The word “love” had to be removed – NRK Sport – Sports news, results and broadcast schedule
The Belgian national football team’s away kit contains the colors of the rainbow and the word “love”. They will not be allowed to use it during the Qatar WC.
It is the International Football Association (FIFA) that has put its foot down. Belgian football star Peter Bossaert confirms this in an interview with the newspaper Het Nieuwsblad.
He says that the suit, which has been designed in collaboration with equipment manufacturer Adidas, must be changed and adapted to Fifa’s wishes.
– The word “love” must be removed, says Bossaert.
– It is sad, but Fifa gives us no choice. The rest of the equipment remains unchanged, he continues.
In the three group games in the World Cup, it is expected that Belgium can use its usual red home kit.
Belgium captain Eden Hazard was supposed to have wasted the World Cup matches with the much talked about rainbow colored captain’s armband, but Fifa also stops that. Hazard would have received a yellow card for the marking, and the football association in the country does not want to take the chance.
President of the Norwegian Football Association (NFF), Lise Klaveness, says on Dagsnytt 18 that she has spoken to the Belgian general secretary, who could not confirm that the kits were refused because of the rainbow colours.
– We are past this with signals. It was a show of force from Fifa. These are basic, universal values that you don’t want to experiment with. Nobody benefits from escalating this, says Klaveness.
– The relationship with Fifa is at a low point after this, she says.
English expert marked with rainbow binder
When the seven World Cup nations that planned to use rainbow-coloured captain’s armbands during the World Cup in Qatar changed their minds after threats from Fifa of sporting punishment, former England player Alex Scott did something that has gone on a social media victory lap:
She appeared on the BBC’s broadcast from Qatar wearing the “OneLove” captain’s armband.
– At least some are brave enough to do it. Good job, Alex Scott, writes football website FootballJoe on Twitter.
– She shows what we all think. As long as you don’t get a yellow card as a consequence, it’s something you want to stand up for. It is a very clear message from her to Fifa, says NRK’s Tete Lidbom, and NRK’s World Cup expert Kristoffer Løkberg agrees.
– She represents England, too, in her own way. It will be difficult for the players that it eventually becomes a good card, and it has such great importance. She shows where the English stand on this matter.
England won Monday’s match against Iran 6-2. Callum Wilson tells NRK that he did not see Scott’s marking before the match, and says the following about Fifa’s threat of sporting punishment.
– It is Fifa’s competition, Fifa’s rules and ultimately we follow them. That’s how it is, he says.
– It’s the World Cup. There has been a lot of focus on non-sporting problems. We have left it up to the FA (the English Football Association) to deal with it. We are here to play the World Cup. I don’t know too much about the armband. I think it was a decision taken by the FA, but all I know is that we support everything off the pitch that everyone talks about, says England’s Declan Rice to NRK.
Jude Bellingham scored England’s first goal in the match against Iran. He says that the armband threats “are disappointing”.
– It is disappointing that they could not support such a case. I understand the cultural challenges here, but it would be nice to have it as a mark and show people that this (soccer) is all game.
– Unfortunately, that did not happen tonight, and in itself they made a big problem out of us not having to use the armband. It shows that we have much more to do, and hopefully experts, the media and myself can have that conversation, says the 19-year-old to SVT.
Netherlands captain Virgil van Dijk rages against FIFA’s decision.
– It is completely final to threaten sanctions because of a captain’s armband. I don’t understand it, says the Liverpool star according to the news agency DPA.
The WC countries: – Frustrated
Earlier on Monday, seven World Cup nations issued a joint statement following Fifa’s sporting penalty warning:
– We cannot put the players in a position where they are punished sportingly, such as in the form of yellow or red cards. We are very frustrated by Fifa’s decision, which is something we have never done before.
– We wrote to Fifa in September informing them of our desire to use the “OneLove” bandages to support active inclusion in football, and never received a reply. Both the players and the coaches are disappointed.
England, the Netherlands, Denmark, Wales, Belgium, Germany and Switzerland had all planned to use a rainbow colored captain’s armband with the text “OneLove” during the World Cup in Qatar.
The host country where homosexuality is prohibited and, according to Amnesty, can be punished with seven years in prison.
But after threats of sporting punishment from the International Football Association (FIFA), everyone has turned their backs.
President of the Norwegian Football Association (NFF), Lise Klaveness, reacts strongly to it.
– We deeply disagree with Fifa’s decision not to allow this captain’s armband. This campaign underpins universal values that Fifa has in its own statutes and which should not be politicized. The campaign has been going on for many months, also for Norway and other countries that are not in the World Cup, and we have communicated this to Fifa like many months ago, she says in a statement.
– Fifa has not communicated any opposition until 24 hours before the opening match and then with uncompromising behavior and threats of sporting sanctions. Fifa’s decision and not least the way in which the decision is made is disturbing. All the countries participating in the campaign are frustrated, including Norway, even though we are not participating in the World Cup, says Klaveness.
NRK’s commentator Jan Petter Saltvedt calls it all a “power demonstration”
– This is taken straight from the textbook for how authoritarian regimes crush opposition. And a further politicization of the WC. How can they be about respecting the culture of the organizers when they themselves show no respect for support for universal human rights? he asked
England, who took the initiative for the campaign, were in meetings with Fifa on Monday. A little while after these meetings, they decided to drop the captain’s armband. FA chief executive Mark Bullingham said earlier on Monday that they would be “happy” to pay a fine for using the bandage. But if they wanted to be punished in a sporting way, they had to reconsider. The confirmations of the changed plans then came in turn:
First the Netherlands, then Denmark, then England.
– A power play
Saltvedt thinks it’s a shame that the teams are not willing to take the yellow card to mark how important matters are. At the same time, he understands that the sporting uncertainty becomes so great that others have to make the decision.
In the World Cup, you must sit out a match if you receive a yellow card in two different matches.
– Fifa knows that well. They are the ones who set that rule as well. They hit the opponents where they are weakest. We must call it a power play, says Saltvedt.
In the Fifa regulations, rule 4.3 under equipment regulations, it says:
“No item (suit or other equipment) shall be used in a playing area if Fifa considers it dangerous, offensive or indecent, including political, religious or personal slogans, statements or the like which are not entirely in line with the guidelines of the game”.
– Shameful
In the days leading up to the start of the controversial championship, the International Football Association (Fifa) launched its own campaign with its own captain’s armbands, urging all World Cup nations to use them on match day.
They also warned that going against these calls would result in punishment.
Leader of the organization FRI (the association for gender and sexuality diversity), Inge Alexander Gjestvang, calls Fifa’s threats shameful.
– We at FRI are very concerned about the situation of migrant workers, women and the queer population in Qatar, and not least how human rights are being safeguarded in general. The fact that performers and the audience are punished for putting the spotlight on problematic things is both embarrassing and shameful, he says to NRK, and adds:
– You use sport as a superficial and fine glaze, but underneath there is a rotten cake that comes clearly into view as soon as you scratch the surface a little.
– Don’t see the problem
From before, Denmark’s national team coach Kasper Hjulmand has announced that he does not want to pressure his captain Simon Kjær to start the World Cup with a yellow card. The Danes, like the other nations mentioned, have planned to use the rainbow captain’s armband.
– This cannot be up to the players. Imagine entering the pitch with a clear yellow card from the start. It doesn’t work, says Hjulmand, who is confused by Fifa’s clear calls to drop the “OneLove” bandages.
– This is not something new we have come up with for this occasion. It’s something we’ve done before. To be perfectly honest, I don’t see the problem. This is something I put a big question mark on.
The Football Supporters’ Association (FSA), a supporter’s organization from England and Wales, writes in a statement that they feel disgusted with Fifa, “which has shown its true values by giving yellow cards to players and red cards to tolerance”.
– Everyone could see this coming, and it is unbelievable that Fifa censors players and football associations who want to share a positive message.