Japan surprises and defeats Germany in game marked by protest against FIFA

In the biggest protest in favor of gender equality and in support of the LGBTQIA+ community at the World Cup in Qatar, the eleven players of Germany posed for the official photo before the debut against Japan, this Wednesday (23), with their hand in the mouth, in a gesture against censorship.

It was the response of the German squad to FIFA’s veto on the use of the armband with the colors of the rainbow and the inscription One Love (One love), which would be used by captain Manuel Neuer.

At the Khalifa stadium, in Doha, the goalkeeper wore the official prop of football’s highest body, with the phrase “no discrimination” (no discrimination). When the ball rolled, both teams played a good game. And once again the zebra walked in Doha, with the victory of the Asians, by 2 to 1.

Gündoğan, from the penalty spot, opened the scoring in the 31st minute of the game, after a foul committed by goalkeeper Shuichi Gonda on defender David Raum. In the second half, he also almost made the second, but hit the post.

The duel also had two goals annulled for offside, one by the Japanese Maeda and another by the German Kai Havertz, in the 8th and 49th minutes of the initial stage, respectively. After the break, Ritsu Doan, in the 30th minute, left everything the same.

Already at 38 minutes, the Japanese got the turn, with Takuma Asano. He received a launch in the back of the defense, invaded the area and beat Neuer with a powerful shot.

The zebra in the debut of the four-time world champions, however, did not overshadow the protest of Germany, which opened up the dissatisfaction of the European teams against FIFA.

Seven countries on the continent (England, Germany, Netherlands, Wales, Denmark, Belgium and Switzerland) intended to wear the One Love armband, but were warned that this would lead to players being punished with a yellow card. At the Worlds, with two cards accumulated, an athlete must already comply with suspension.

“As national associations, we cannot place our players in a position where they could face sporting sanctions, including bookings,” the countries said in a joint statement.

The Belgian team also intended to use a predominantly white shirt, but with rainbow colors scattered throughout the uniform, with the inscription “Love” (love) on the collar. That too was banned.

The federations have criticized Fifa’s inflexibility over gestures in favor of gender equality. Denmark, for example, threatens to withdraw from the entity. Ahead of the match against Japan, German FA president Bernd Neuendorf said the country’s players were “disappointed” by the ban.

This Wednesday (23), the veto to the armband was the main subject on the cover of Bild, one of the main newspapers in Germany. In response to the situation, the supermarket chain Rewe, one of the biggest sponsors of the German team, informed that it will break the contract.

“FIFA’s outrageous attitude is, for me, absolutely unacceptable as CEO of a diversified company and as a football fan,” said Lionel Souque, CEO of Rewe.

In Qatar, homosexuality is a crime. Public displays of affection between men and women are also prohibited. Ever since the announcement that the country would host the World Cup, the issue has been cause for concern.

The NGO for Human Rights Watch denounces that the Police of the Middle Eastern nation arbitrarily detained and abused migrants from the LGBTQIA+ community.

During the World Cup, before the game between Argentina and Saudi Arabia in Lusail, local authorities took a flag from the state of Pernambuco, taken to the stadium by a group of Brazilians. According to testimonies that were at the scene, the agents thought it was a flag in support of the LGBTQIA+ community because it also has the colors of the rainbow.

In an interview with Sheet in early 2020, the secretary general of the Supreme Committee for Delivery and Legacy, Hassan Al Thawadi, asked that people coming to the country be open to adapting to the local culture.

On the eve of the opening of the Cup, the president of FIFA, Gianni Infantino, caused controversy when he commented on cases of discrimination in Qatar. First, he called criticism directed at the Middle Eastern nation “hypocrisy” by European countries.

Then, in his speech that caused the most outrage, he compared the discrimination he would have suffered in childhood for being a red-haired Swiss-Italian with the discrimination suffered by gays and disabled people.

“Today I feel Arab. Today I feel African. Today I feel gay. Today I feel handicapped. Today I feel like a migrant worker,” he said. “Of course I’m not Qatari, I’m not Arab, I’m not African, I’m not gay, I’m not disabled. But I feel like it because I know what it means to be discriminated against,” he added.