Hugo Lloris does not seem to wear the OneLove captain’s armband at the World Cup in Qatar. The captain of France believes that there is ‘too much’ pressure on the players to protest at the final tournament in Qatar. In addition, the closing post of Tottenham Hotspur states that the culture of Qatar should be respected.
Noël Le Graët, president of the French Football Federation, said in an interview with L’Equipe indicated that he would ask Lloris not to wear the captain’s armband in rainbow colors at the World Cup in Qatar. That bond stands for connection and any form of discrimination. The rainbow colors are mainly a symbol of the LGBTQ+ community, however, homosexuality is prohibited in Qatar. For example, sex between two people of the same sex carries a prison sentence of one to three years.
“To do such things you need an agreement from FIFA and the Football Association,” Lloris said at a press conference from France about the OneLove captaincy. “But I also have a personal opinion on the subject. And it resembles that of our chairman Noël Le Graët. When we receive foreigners in France, we often want them to adapt to our rules and respect our culture. I tend to do the same in Qatar, no more, no less. I can agree or disagree with their ideas, but I think it’s a matter of showing respect.”
Lloris says there is “too much pressure” on players ahead of the tournament and insists one must focus on football to be successful. “If you have to apply pressure, it should have been done ten years ago. Now it’s too late. You have to understand that this opportunity comes once every four years for players and you want to take every opportunity to succeed. The focus should be on the field. The rest is up to politicians, we are athletes,” said Lloris. For France, the World Cup starts with a group match against Australia, followed by duels with Denmark and Tunisia.
Leaked letter from FIFA
revealed in early November Sky Sports that FIFA has asked all participating countries in the World Cup in Qatar in a letter to only deal with football. In it, FIFA President Gianni Infantino and Secretary General Fatma Samoura ask countries to ensure that “football is not dragged into all the ideological and political battles that exist in the world.”
The letter also shows that the world football association would rather not have countries openly criticize the working conditions in Qatar and the violation of human rights there. The FIFA top does not give specific examples, but the letter seems to be mainly intended as an appeal to participating countries not to comment on political and social matters. Something that has already been done in recent weeks, including by the Australian Football Association and the Danish national team.