The band is intended as a symbol ‘for connection and against all forms of discrimination’. But according to FIFA, wearing them is part of “ideological and political battles that exist in the world”, and they have no place on the football field as far as the association is concerned. Whoever wears the belt can therefore expect a yellow card.
The KNVB would have swallowed a fine, the Dutch football association writes in a statement, but a yellow card for the captain is a bridge too far. “We stand for the OneLove message and will continue to spread it, but our first priority at the World Cup is to win the games.”
‘Pain in the heart’
The union says it has made the decision “with pain in the heart”. “It has never been seen that Fifa wants to punish us on the field for this. This goes against the spirit of our sport that connects millions of people.’
Earlier, national coach Louis van Gaal said it is not a matter for Fifa to find whether captains wear a OneLove band or not. “It’s about how the KNVB, the national coach and Virgil van Dijk think about this.” But, he also said: “If Fifa bans that band, we will have to think about it.” This weekend he said he no longer wanted to talk about “political matters” and only about football.
Captains of other teams also planned to wear the band. For example, German goalkeeper Manuel Neuer confirmed this weekend that he will wear the OneLove captain’s armband, sanctions or not. England, Wales, Belgium, Switzerland and Denmark also supported the action. They may also refrain from it now that it appears that there is a yellow card on it.