The Swiss national football team has backed down in the face of sporting sanctions on a pledge to have their captain wear a World Cup armband sporting the “OneLove” message of diversity and inclusion.
This content was published on
2 minutes
swissinfo.ch/mga
Português
pt
Suíça decepcionada com proibição de braçadeira ‘OneLove’
FIFA, world football’s governing body, has threatened to issue yellow cards to any player wearing the multi-coloured armband.
Switzerland was one of ten European nations, eight of them appearing at the World Cup in Qatar, who had signed up to the armband.
Qatar has proved a controversial choice to host the football tournament, in large part because the Middle East country falls short on human rights standards.
Switzerland, France, Germany, England, the Netherlands, Belgium, Wales and Denmark issued a joint statement saying they felt let down by Zurich-based FIFA.
The statement said they were “very frustrated” by the FIFA decision, which came days after the organisation’s Swiss-born president Gianni Infantino said “today I feel gay” during a long monologue aimed at media criticising the decision to host the World Cup in a country where homosexuality remains illegal.
More
More
FIFA’s Infantino criticises ‘moral lessons’ of World Cup detractors
This content was published on
Saying he feels “gay” and like a migrant worker, FIFA president Gianni Infantino derided criticism of Qatar 2022 as hypocrisy.
FIFA had threatened to punish players and teams with sanctions if their captains wore the OneLove armband. Instead, it offered an alternative armband that is more acceptable to Qatar.
“It’s unfortunate because we wanted to spread a message,” said a Swiss Football Association spokesperson on Monday. The decision for captain Granit Xhaka not to wear the OneLove armband was taken in the interest of “protecting our player so that he is not disadvantaged in sporting terms”.
While participating countries were prepared to accept fines, they could not risk players being sent off for wearing the armband.
Switzerland play their first World Cup match against Cameroon on Thursday.
More
More
‘Project Merciless’: how Qatar spied on the world of football in Switzerland
This content was published on
Qatar orchestrated a major intelligence operation against FIFA officials helped by ex-CIA agents. Switzerland was a key theatre of operations.
Should raw milk sales be banned or should consumers decide?
Swiss food regulations do not allow raw milk to be sold for direct consumption. However, a loophole allows 400 raw milk vending machines to do just that.
Should Switzerland take measures to support its struggling industries?
Industrial policies are back in fashion, not only in the United States but also in the EU. Should Switzerland, where various industries are struggling, draw inspiration from such policies?
This content was published on
Swiss Black Friday revenues failed to live up to retail expectations. But sales throughout the week proved more successful.
This content was published on
The Swiss army will have CH 530 million more than expected for armaments investments after a parliamentary chamber approved the increase.
This content was published on
Swiss citizens could have access to an e-ID from 2026 as parliament has agreed to the idea in principle despite still having to iron out some minor issues.
Switzerland mulls S status restrictions for Ukrainian refugees
This content was published on
Switzerland’s parliament wants in future to restrict the issuance of Ukrainian S permits to refugees fleeing parts of the war-torn country.
Solar energy covers 11% of Switzerland’s electricity needs
This content was published on
Solar power covers eleven percent of the electricity demand in Switzerland. The industry's turnover for the current year is around CHF 3.7 billion, as shown by the first ever publication of the Swiss Solar Monitor.
If you want to start a conversation about a topic raised in this article or want to report factual errors, email us at english@swissinfo.ch.
Read more
More
LGBT activists protest at FIFA museum ahead of Qatar World Cup
This content was published on
A few dozen people have protested in front of the FIFA Museum in Zurich ahead of the World Cup hosted by Gulf state Qatar.
This content was published on
After being chosen as World Cup host, Qatar set its sights on Geneva as the place to roll out a massive PR campaign to boost its image.
FIFA’s Infantino criticises ‘moral lessons’ of World Cup detractors
This content was published on
Saying he feels "gay" and like a migrant worker, FIFA president Gianni Infantino derided criticism of Qatar 2022 as hypocrisy.
‘Project Merciless’: how Qatar spied on the world of football in Switzerland
This content was published on
Qatar orchestrated a major intelligence operation against FIFA officials helped by ex-CIA agents. Switzerland was a key theatre of operations.
You can find an overview of ongoing debates with our journalists here . Please join us!
If you want to start a conversation about a topic raised in this article or want to report factual errors, email us at english@swissinfo.ch.