The controversies surrounding FIFA World Cup 2022 refuse to die down. Germany became the latest team to join protests against FIFA as the German players were seen covering their mouths, against freedom of speech, after they were told not to wear 'One Love' armbands by the global governing body.
The German players covered their mouths in protest and also wore rainbow stripes on their warm-up kits in a statement of defiance before their opening World Cup group game against Japan on Wednesday.
Germany were one of the seven nations including England and Wales that were banned by FIFA from wearing the 'One Love' armband, which stands for tolerance, diversity and LGBTQ+ rights.
Interestingly, German interior minister Nancy Faeser wore the One love armband as she at beside FIFA president Gianni Infantino to watch the match. The German football association also tweeted a strong message after being warned by FIFA that they would sanction teams who defied the governing body.
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While other nations simply complied to the FIFA norms, the Germans came up with the strongest stance against the same.
"It wasn’t about making a political statement – human rights are non-negotiable. That should be taken for granted, but it still isn’t the case. That’s why this message is so important to us," read a statement from the German FA on Twitter,
"Denying us the armband is the same as denying us a voice. We stand by our position," it added further.
Germany lost the match to Japan 2-1, which was their first defeat against the Asian giants. The four-time World Cup winners took the lead through Ilkay Gundogan's penalty but two goals in the second half from Ritsu Doan and Takuma Asano ensured a stunning comeback for the side from the land of the rising sun.
