Germany say they’ve been denied their voice ahead of their World Cup opener in Qatar this afternoon.
In the team photo before their Group E opener against Japan each player covered their mouth.
Earlier this week, FIFA said there would be punishments for team captains who wore an armband in support of members of the LGBTQ+ community.
The country’s FA intend to take FIFA to the Court of Arbitration for Sport after captains of several European nations were stopped from wearing One Love armbands in Qatar .
German interior minister Nancy Faeser is wearing the armband in the stands, beside FIFA boss Gianni Infantino. Same-sex relationships are illegal in Qatar.
On ITV it’s grabbed the attention of pundits.
“That’s fantastic by the Germans,” says Ian Wright. Roy Keane wasn’t so sure: “Use their voice! Wear the armband! Leadership is about action. Go and do it. It’s a gesture, and it’s a start, but they can do more.”
We wanted to use our captain’s armband to take a stand for values that we hold in the Germany national team: diversity and mutual respect. Together with other nations, we wanted our voice to be heard.
— Germany (@DFB_Team_EN) November 23, 2022
