In the end, Manuel Neuer did not take to the pitch for Germany’s World Cup game vs Japan wearing the ‘One Love’ captain’s armband in favour of the LGBTQ+ community, after FIFA ruled that such an act would be against their rules.
Germany and several other nations planned to wear that armband to show support for that community, given that Qatar has laws against homosexuality.
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Once they were told they couldn’t wear it, Germany decided to stage a different kind of protest, with the starting line-up all covering their mouths for the team photo to show they had been censored.
It wasn’t 100 percent clear at first if this was the reason for this gesture, but the German FA then confirmed it.
The German FA’s statement about the ‘One Love’ protest
“We wanted to use our captain’s armband to take a stand for values that we hold in the Germany national team: diversity and mutual respect,” their statement started.
“Together with other nations, we wanted our voice to be heard.
“It wasn’t about making a political statement – human rights are non-negotiable.
“That should be taken for granted, but it still isn’t the case.
“That’s why this message is so important to us.
“Denying us the armband is the same as denying us a voice.
“We stand by our position.”
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