World football’s governing body FIFA have reportedly rejected request by the Danish Football Association (DBU) to train with shirts with “Human Rights For All” inscription on it in the 2022 World Cup.
Speaking on Thursady, the Danish Football Association (DBU) confirmed the development reiterating FIFA’s rejection of the request.
The Danish national team were gearing up to express their support for marginalized and discriminated groups in Qatar by wearing training shirts, with “Human Rights For All” boldly written on it.
The DBU said in 2021 that their two training kit sponsors would make way for messages critical of Qatar while also minimising the number of trips to the country to avoid commercial activities promoting the World Cup hosts’ events.
However, they got a message from Fifa that “the training shirts our players were to train in, where it would say ‘human rights for all’ at the stomach [of the shirt], have been rejected due to technical reasons”.
Jakob Jensen, the DBU chief executive, confirmed the development while speaking with the Ritzau news agency.
Fifa declined to comment when contacted. According to its rules, any team equipment must not have any political, religious or personal slogans, statements or images.
However the DBU maintained that the message ‘human rights for all’ is universal and not a political call, but something everyone can support.
Recall that FIFA had wrote to World Cup teams this month urging them to focus on football in Qatar and not let the sport be dragged into ideological or political issues.
FIFA president Gianni Infantino has been critical of moves by some FAs to solder protest and political moves to their World Cup campaign.
England and Wales’ FA have reportedly led other FAs to protest Qatar’s treatment of LGBT+ communities and the massive clampdown on human rights.
The captains of each national teams were to wear ‘One Love’ armbands and flag rainbow colors calling for an end to discriminatory laws to marginalize and target LGBT communities.
FIFA kicked against the move and were reportedly ready to ban the armbands, setting the stage for a collision with the concerned FAs.
Infantino argued football should not be dragged into extreme ideological battles urging the FAs to focus on the football.
As things stand, FIFA has dared with readiness to place a ban, while the FAs are bent on going ahead with their protest.
Denmark is among the teams ready to join and has already adopted measures ahead of the tournament.
Hummel, the kit manufacturer, said in September it had toned down the details on Denmark’s World Cup jerseys and released a black kit as a protest against Qatar’s human rights record ahead of the tournament.
Denmark plays their first game of the World Cup against Tunisia in Group D on 22 November. It is hoped that the faceoff will not affect the progress of the tournament.