World Cup teams set to defy FIFA with OneLove armbands
Soccer, Nations League A, Germany - Hungary, Group Stage, Group 3, Matchday 5, Red Bull Arena: Germany's Joshua Kimmich reacts on the pitch. (PHOTO/Reuters)
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FIFA proposed a series of alternative armbands featuring
different social campaigns on Saturday in response to plans by European teams
to wear "OneLove" rainbow armbands at the Qatar World Cup.
European teams launched the "OneLove" initiative in
response to the treatment of LGBTQ communities in Qatar, where homosexuality is
illegal.
FIFA though has requested that all captains wear a different
armband on each match day, promoting social messages such as "Football
unites the world" and "Share the meal" in a United
Nations-backed campaign.
"Each round of matches will be associated with its own
dedicated campaign designed to maximise reach and impact," FIFA said in a
statement.
The move puts football's world governing body on a potential
collision course with teams such as Germany, whose captain Manuel Neuer said he
would still wear a "OneLove" armband to promote diversity and
inclusion.
"Other European nations are wearing (the armband) and it
is good we are doing it together," Neuer said on Saturday.
Denmark's Christian Eriksen said his country's captain Simon
Kjaer would be wearing the rainbow armband too, regardless of any disciplinary
action taken by FIFA.
"We as a country are wearing it, our captain will be
wearing the OneLove armband," Eriksen said.
"What the consequences will be I don't know, but we'll
see."
England's Football Association are also believed to be ready
to support the "OneLove" campaign regardless and are understood to be
seeking clarity on whether the rainbow armband and the FIFA ones can be worn
together.


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