A Salford chairman of an LGBT+ football team has criticised FIFA’s decision to book captains who wear the OneLove armband at the World Cup in support of gay rights.
Last month, the FA (Football Association) announced that England Captain, Harry Kane, would be one of nine captains set to wear the armband to highlight the oppression of the LGBT+ community in Qatar.
However, it was announced the day before the side’s opening match against Iran that the captains would be booked as soon as the game began.
Salford resident and Chairman of Village Manchester FC, James Cole, said: “I think it’s pathetic to be honest. Obviously, there’s been a lot of criticism of this World Cup for many valid reasons over the last few days and FIFA seem to have reached the point where they are throwing their toys out of the pram at the slightest thing.
“As much as the FA were trying to make a symbolic gesture it was really the smallest they could have gotten away with and they haven’t even gotten away with that, it’s a little disappointing.
“I think if the FA and the other six national football associations that were involved had stuck to it and said we will send our captains out and get them a booking, I think FIFA might have backed down.”
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Mr Cole explained he also would have welcomed seeing the captains go ahead with the plan regardless of the consequences. He said: “Personally, I would have liked to have seen them do it and call FIFA out on their idiocy. But if you start calling them out on the poor decisions they have made, where do you stop?
“We all want to see sport make a difference in the world and I hope that one of the big differences this World Cup makes is that FIFA sees some real reform as they are clearly not fit for purpose.”
The chairman added that the Qatar situation is “absurd”, and that they never should have been awarded the tournament 12 years ago.
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