One Love becomes No Love! The “decision” has been made: The “One Love” captain’s armbands will not be worn at the World Cup in Qatar.
On Monday, the European national associations announced that they would bow to pressure from FIFA. The world association had announced penalties should the captains wear this special bandage. Apparently not only a yellow card for the respective captain before kick-off, but also suspensions and/or point deductions.
In the end, you could not have risked this for your own players, it said in a joint statement. On the other hand, fines or the like would have been accepted. One is “very mad” at the world association.
The fact that he only banned the bandages shortly before the first English game kicked off fits in with FIFA’s image. This was discussed for months, and a corresponding request from the national associations was apparently ignored. In the end, the short-term threats could bring them to their knees. After all, the “best World Cup of all time” (quote from the FIFA President) should not be disturbed.
A message against any form of discrimination, racism and anti-Semitism. inclusion and diversity. Such a message just doesn’t fit the picture. There is no need to explain why this is so. This World Cup provided enough answers after just one day.
From a sporting point of view, the step taken by the European associations is quite understandable. Wearing the “One Love” bandages could jeopardize your own athletic performance. After all, it’s still a World Cup – and the result is what counts.
In any case, this message is conveyed. We prefer to sacrifice our conviction for the supposed success, forego a message. One that could have been conveyed much more clearly due to the pressure from FIFA and supposed penalties.
Sure, it’s easy to talk as an author of such a comment. And yet the ducking in front of the world association once again confirms the impression of the associations. A historic opportunity was missed to finally stand up to FIFA.
In any case, it would have been exciting to see what would have happened if England, Germany, the Netherlands and Co. had carried out their “One Love” campaign. Would FIFA really have penalized these teams with point deductions and suspensions?
You don’t know – and you never will. What a pity!
This article was originally published on 90min.de as No Love for your own beliefs.
