FIFA the World Cup, Qatar and Human Rights

[Archibald&Crooks]

Rather than diluting the individual group and match threads with all the talk about political and suchlike things, here's a thread for it

Usually, SC wouldn't really entertain politics and football being mixed but the World Cup and especially the venue is a huge event and a massive test of where football truly stands morally. It's clear that the lip service the football authorities pay to all this isn't enough yet this last couple of weeks it's gone into overdrive.

It's possible that somewhere down the line, things are going to explode during this tournament. But let's not hold our breath.

Anyway, here you go. Armbands.

 

[vicbob]

Every player should wear one, stand up to them, don't cave. If they book everyone, so what, there won't be anyone to play the group matches because they will all be suspended. Call their bluff and throw the whole tournament into chaos and expose it at the farce it really is.
Those 7 nations alone could bring down this world cup, yet they have all caved, shameful.

 

[$hoguN]

FIFA are showing themselves to be financially motivated and a corrupt as ever. We need FIFA out of the game.

fuck Qatar and their attempted sports washing agenda. I won’t be watching

 

[PaulM]

That decision on the armbands is a disgrace by all concerned. VVD and his "I don't like playing on a yellow". Harry Kane, poster boy for football in England won't risk a booking to stand up for what's right. I know the FAs will be driving this but the players were happy to be the face of it when they were getting the credit. Now they can take some of the backlash if they cave.

"Football for all". My hole it is.

I hope to God that if they cave on this, they don't fucking bother taking the knee today. It'll be the emptiest of gestures.

Dark day for football. I said I wouldn't watch this shitfest. I was never more glad of that decision than right now. Harry, like most heroes, you have feet of clay.

 

[easley91]

I think the players should wear them whatever FIFA and the FAs say. Actually stand up and do something. Football can be used for good, so do it.

 

[easley91]

GMTV this morning , trying to persuade England players to do the hair cut thing if they score against Iran in support for womens rights - no chance. And on the subject of the armbands , yellow if they wear them , if they dont take them off after the yellow - what then red ?

If they pass it around after a red then surely they all get sent off right?

 

[Amo]

The other thread was already good enough, no?

Now there are individual match/group threads and two seperate overall threads.

 

[Johnny J]

The gesture is only meaningful if you don't just do it when it's convenient.

I hope every single England player wears one, and the same for every other country that supports LGBT+ people and rights.

Fuck FIFA and their tacit endorsement of bigotry and prejudice in return for money.

Imagine going out of your way to punish people who want to show support for marginalised groups, while simultaneously being fine with Qatar's rep saying that being gay is "damage in the mind"..

 

[Marty]

IFAB and the referees could come out and say they wouldn't issue bookings for the armbands.

They're as chickenshit as everybody else in this matter.

 

[Yid-ol]

Get all the England backroom staff to wear them. If they get booked no issue!

 

[Johnny J]

IFAB and the referees could come out and say they wouldn't issue bookings for the armbands.

They're as chickenshit as everybody else in this matter.

"The only thing necessary for evil to triumph in the world is that good men do nothing."

 

[tototoner]

England and Wales will not wear OneLove armbands

England, Wales and other European nations will not wear the OneLove armband at the World Cup in Qatar because of the threat of players getting yellow cards.

www.bbc.co.uk

 

[spurs9]

 

[brasil_spur]

Losing respect for them now, they really shouldn’t have caved - as others have said send everyone out wearing armbands and let them start a game by booking all 11 players and watch the farce unfold.

 

[Yid-ol]

Losing respect for them now, they really shouldn’t have caved - as others have said send everyone out wearing armbands and let them start a game by booking all 11 players and watch the farce unfold.

I think they have something in the rules about no political messages (unless agreed with by fa/uefa/FIFA) or something. I might be wrong though.

 

[Johnny J]

I think they have something in the rules about no political messages (unless agreed with by fa/uefa/FIFA) or something. I might be wrong though.

Yes, they do. But supporting LGBT+ people isn't a political message. It's just saying people can be who they are and love who they love.

If others have a problem with that - for example, because they criminalise homosexuality - then that's on them.

FIFA have approved taking the knee at the WC. Why? Because being black isn't illegal In Qatar. Whereas being gay is.

 

[Trix]

IFAB and the referees could come out and say they wouldn't issue bookings for the armbands.

They're as chickenshit as everybody else in this matter.

To be fair mate, they'd only be enforcing the laws of the game which are clear regarding making political statements. Is it right in this case? No, but it's always supposed to have been a zero tolerance policy because if you start allowing one cause or another it becomes very difficult to say where that line should be. A workaround could be to represent a charity which I believe is allowed only on training wear.

 

[FrankSpencer]

They should take the knee and make an imaginary rainbow with their fingers. That would just be as impactful. The ref wouldn't book all 11 players on the pitch at that moment, and FIFA would be shown for the absolute cretins they are for standing in the way of a very clear ‘inclusion’ gesture with the armbands.

 

[Johnny J]

To be fair mate, they'd only be enforcing the laws of the game which are clear regarding making political statements. Is it right in this case? No, but it's always supposed to have been a zero tolerance policy because if you start allowing one cause or another it becomes very difficult to say where that line should be. A workaround could be to represent a charity which I believe is allowed only on training wear.

Genuine question: how is supporting people's right to love whoever they want a political statement? It's a basic human right. Qatar have a problem with it for cultural and religious reasons. It's not a question of politics.

The only sense it's political is in the broader philosophical sense that everything is political. Which is true in one sense, but then literally everything would be banned.

Meanwhile, FIFA approve taking the knee. Their position makes no sense whatsoever.

The FA have taken fines before for the players wearing poppies on their shirts. But this time, FIFA are taking the unprecedented step of threatening bookings for players. Their stance is indefensible.

 

[Trix]

Genuine question: how is supporting people's right to love whoever they want a political statement? It's a basic human right. Qatar have a problem with it for cultural and religious reasons. It's not a question of politics.

It's a question of politics if it's written into the law of that country mate be it for religious reasons or not, and no matter how crack pot that seems to us. You say it's a basic human right, but by law it is not in Qatar, so that makes it political.