Qatar 2022, England rebels: “Could they fine us for the rainbow band? If so, we will pay.”

In Qatar there will be demonstrations of open dissent, such as the band with a rainbow heart that Kane will wear. And if FIFA, who are trying to avoid the “politicisation” of the event, fines the English, the FA will pay any fines…

With the inauguration of the World Cup drawing ever closer, the controversies between the organisation, FIFA and the national teams involved continue to grow. Especially when the topic is that of workers’ and minorities’ rights in the Persian Gulf country. A few days ago, the international federation decided to prevent Denmark from wearing shirts in training that called for respect for human rights, in an attempt not to “politicize” the event. But that doesn’t mean there won’t be demonstrations of open dissent towards the country hosting the World Cup, such as the band with a rainbow heart that Harry Kane will wear. The England captain will in fact have an armband designed to support the LGBTQ+ community.

If the fine comes…

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And if FIFA doesn’t like it, never mind. As she explained in an interview with SkySports the FA president Mark Bullingham, the English federation is very ready to pay any fine that should be imposed on the national team. “No one has responded to our request for the captain to wear the rainbow heart armband. So it is possible that they will give us a fine. And if so, we will pay it.” A strong position taken by the number one of Soho Square, which demonstrates how much the FA is committed to the defense of minorities by taking part in the OneLove campaign, organized by the Dutch FA and also supported by Norway and Sweden. And Kane has already worn the armband in Nations League matches.

The position of the FA

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After all, not even a month ago Bullingham himself had been very clear in this regard by speaking to the Sun. “The national team will wear the OneLove armband until the end of the season as a visible show of support for inclusion in football. And we’re pushing FIFA for a quick and comprehensive update on workers’ conditions. We’ve been to Qatar during our visits to the country and, while they acknowledge the substantial progress, there are areas where further support would make a huge difference.And finally, we continue to push for the principle of compensation for the families of migrant workers who have lost their lives or been injured in construction”. And if FIFA and Qatar don’t like Kane’s armband, the fines will all be duly paid…