The captains of eight European teams, including world champion France, will wear an armband with colored stripes at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar in favor of inclusion and against discrimination, several federations announced on Wednesday. Harry Kane for England, Hugo Lloris for France, Manuel Neuer for Germany… At the World Cup, the captains of major European football teams will have on their arm an armband with a heart filled with six parallel stripes, the colors of which differ from those of the LGBT flag.
“An honor to defend certain values”, proclaims Varane
“It is an initiative of different European federations so tomorrow (Thursday) I will wear a slightly different armband, a symbol”, confirmed Wednesday at a press conference Raphaël Varane, wearer of the armband against Austria Thursday in the absence of Lloris. “For me, it’s an honor to defend certain values so that won’t be a problem”. The Manchester United defender welcomed the “shared message”, adding: “It’s good to have this unity. We are often opponents but sometimes we also manage to fight together.”
“As captains, we will challenge each other on the pitch, but we stand together against all forms of discrimination,” said Englishman Harry Kane, quoted in a statement from the English Federation.
Netherlands, Wales, Belgium… The selections that work together
The German Federation said that the initiative, dubbed “One Love”, came from a UEFA working group responsible for studying “issues relating to workers’ rights and human rights in Qatar until at the 2022 World Cup”. “The love of football unites us all, no matter where we come from, how we look or who we love (…) football must be there for everyone who feels discriminated against and rejected,” explained the German goalkeeper Neuer manual.
Also associated are the selections of the Netherlands, Wales, Belgium, Denmark, Switzerland, as well as Norway and Sweden, the latter two countries not having qualified, however, for the Cup. of the world. The campaign will start on Thursday with Nations League matches.
The treatment of migrant workers in question
The authorities of the small Gulf emirate are regularly criticized by NGOs for their treatment of migrant workers, particularly in the construction, security and domestic work sectors, as well as LGBT + people.
Accusations vigorously rejected by the authorities who emphasize having reformed labor laws, and by the Qatari organizers of the Mondial who ensure that members of the LGBT + community will be welcomed without discrimination, despite laws criminalizing sexual relations between people of the same sex in the country.