According to the Belgian Football Association, the Red Devils have to play with a modified third jersey at the World Cup in Qatar. Accordingly, the word “Love” that was incorporated on the inside of these jerseys must be removed again. “The word love has to go,” the president of the Belgian association RBFA, Peter Bossaert, was quoted as saying in the Belgian media on Monday. “It’s sad, but Fifa leaves us no choice.”
The kit in question features the colors of the rainbow and is intended to reflect the values of diversity, equality and inclusion. The lettering on the inside, however, was warned.
Fifa had previously caused a stir by pressuring eight European federations – including Belgium – for wanting their captains to wear the “One Love” armband. However, the associations concerned were reluctant to do so for fear of yellow cards for their captains.
Other sources: “ESPN”, “Spiegel Online”.