Ahead of the World Cup match against Japan in Qatar on Wednesday, Germany’s players gathered on the pitch and covered their mouths in protest.
The players were upset that soccer’s governing body FIFA had previously stopped the captains of several European teams from wearing armbands in support of the LGBTQ community.
“We wanted to use our captain’s armband to take a stand for the values we hold in the German national team: diversity and mutual respect. Together with other nations, we want to make our voices heard,” the team said in a posted statement. their Official Twitter account.
“This is not about making a political statement – human rights are non-negotiable. It should be taken for granted, but it’s not yet. That’s why this message is so important to us,” the team said. “To deny us an armband is to deny us a voice. We will stand our ground.”
