England, Germany and Other European Teams Will Not Wear OneLove Captain Armbands at 2022 World Cup
England, Germany and various other European football federations today announced that they will in the end not wear the '#OneLove' captain armbands during the 2022 World Cup after FIFA had warned them about sporting sanctions.
"FIFA has made it very clear that it will impose sporting sanctions if our captains wear the armbands on the pitch," the federations of Germany, England, Wales, Belgium, Denmark, the Netherlands and Switzerland announced Monday. "As national federations, we cannot put our players in a situation where they face sporting sanctions, including sending-offs. That's why we have asked the captains not to wear the armbands at FIFA World Cup matches. "We are very frustrated by FIFA's decision, which we believe is unprecedented, the statement reads.
"We were prepared to pay fines that would normally be imposed for equipment violations and strongly advocated for the wearing of the armband. However, we cannot put our players in a situation where they could be cautioned or even forced to leave the pitch," the statement added.
England will make their 2022 World Cup debut against Iran today at 2PM CET.
FIFA's decision can be justified by their equipment rules that state that captains have to wear armbands provided by FIFA. However, it's highly unusual to see sporting sanctions for violations of this kind. In the end, the threat was enough for England, Germany and Co. to back down.
Let's hear your thoughts in the comments below.
