FIFA World Cup: England Face Twitter Backlash After Ditching “One Love” Armband | Football News

The England football team has been on the receiving end of flak from supporters on social media after it decided against wearing the “one love” armband to support the LGBTQ community. England were not the only team to make a u-turn as other European nations like Wales, Belgium, Denmark, Germany, the Netherlands and Switzerland decided to abandon plans to wear a rainbow-themed armband in support of LGBTQ rights, citing the threat of disciplinary action from FIFA.

“FIFA has been very clear that it will impose sporting sanctions if our captains wear the armbands on the field of play,” they said in a joint statement. Under FIFA rules, players wearing kit that is not authorised by football’s world governing body could be shown a yellow card.

If that player was then shown a second yellow card, they would be sent off.

The “OneLove” armband due to be worn by the likes of England captain Harry Kane and Germany counterpart Manuel Neuer is designed as part of a campaign to promote inclusivity.

The armbands had widely been viewed as a protest against laws in the host nation Qatar, where homosexuality is illegal.

“As national federations, we can’t put our players in a position where they could face sporting sanctions including bookings, so we have asked the captains not to attempt to wear the armbands in FIFA World Cup games,” the federations of England, Wales, Belgium, Denmark, Germany, the Netherlands and Switzerland said.

Here are some of the tweets that have criticised the England FA’s decision.

Spineless. Genuinely spineless.

— Joe Thomlinson (@joethomlinson) November 21, 2022

If your ‘solidarity’ and ‘allyship’ crumbles the moment you face a consequence… then it is meaningless#OneLove

— Natalie Morris (@Nmozz) November 21, 2022

As many have said, the One Love armband was a meek idea to begin with – but the threat of sanctions actually gave it some power. If England, Wales, the Netherlands etc had stood together and said they’d take the punishment, it would have put FIFA in an embarrassing position.

— Matthew Stanger (@MatthewStanger) November 21, 2022

This is incredibly brave.

Meanwhile, players from other countries won’t wear armbands with the watered-down “One Love” message because they’re scared of getting a yellow card. https://t.co/Jma3jgMGBF

— Kevin M. Kruse (@KevinMKruse) November 21, 2022

Three Lions became three kittens when threatened with yellow cards for wearing the ‘One Love’ armband. So much for their solidarity with the LGBTQ community.

— Dilly Hussain (@DillyHussain88) November 21, 2022

If your ‘solidarity’ and ‘allyship’ crumbles the moment you face a consequence… then it is meaningless#OneLove

— Natalie Morris (@Nmozz) November 21, 2022

With AFP inputs

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