Germany’s players covered their mouths for the team photo before their World Cup opener against Japan on Wednesday, in protest at Fifa’s refusal to allow rainbow-themed armbands.
Captains of seven European teams had planned to wear the anti-discrimination armbands during the tournament in Qatar as part of a campaign for diversity, but backed down over the threat of disciplinary action from football’s governing body, including yellow cards.
The rainbow armbands had been viewed as a symbolic protest against laws in Qatar, where homosexuality is illegal.
Germany’s football federation said in a tweet moments after the photo protest that “human rights are not negotiable”, reports AFP.
“This is not a political position; human rights are not negotiable,” the DFB tweeted.
German Football Federation: “Human rights are not negotiable” 👏🏻 https://t.co/QdRsBkUEV1
— Melis Öneren Özbek (@melisoneren) November 23, 2022
“To ban the armband is like banning our right to speak.”
Fifa president Gianni Infantino was at the Khalifa International Stadium for the Germany-Japan match.
The German government spokesperson, Steffen Hebestreit, said earlier in the day in Berlin that Fifa’s decision to bar captains from wearing the “OneLove” armbands was “very unfortunate”.
“The rights of LGBTQ people are non-negotiable,” Hebestreit said at a press conference.
Germany went on to lose 2-1.
Security staff have even ordered fans to remove items of clothing featuring rainbow logos.
Belgium defender Jan Vertonghen said on Tuesday in Qatar that he was “afraid” to talk about human rights.
Vertonghen, speaking on the eve of Belgium’s opening game against Canada on Wednesday, said he did not feel comfortable.
“I’m afraid if I say something about this I might not be able to play tomorrow,” he explained.
“It’s an experience I’ve never felt in football before. I feel controlled.”