Netherlands will not follow Germany’s protest style in World Cup
Netherlands players are not expected to show any Germany-like expressions of protest against host Qatar’s human rights record ahead of their World Cup match against Ecuador on Friday. Germany players cover their faces as they pose for a photo ahead of the team’s first match at the soccer World Cup on Wednesday, wearing ‘One Love’ armbands to protest discrimination in host country Qatar. FIFA’s tough stance on the plan was way of condemnation.
Seven European teams planned to wear this armband, including the Netherlands and Germany. Qatar has been criticized for its laws criminalizing homosexuality and its treatment of migrant workers. Netherlands defender Denzel Dumfries said the players will not do anything like that on the field on Friday because they feel they have done enough by meeting some migrant workers.
“No, no,” Dumfries said through an interpreter on Thursday.As Koch said, we met a lot of migrant laborers, which was a great time for us and for them. We talked a lot (about human rights) in the last two weeks. We have said whatever we had to say and from now on we just need to focus on football. ,
Netherlands coach Louis van Gaal said his team would not protest on the field in any way. He said, “We put a full stop to all political issues last Thursday when we invited migrant laborers. Whatever happened till now was about human rights and maybe it was right and maybe it was not. But I think that’s enough. Germany’s players wearing face coverings was a response to FIFA’s warning to seven European federations that players would be punished for wearing colorful ‘One Love’ armbands as a symbol of inclusion and diversity. These seven team captains were planned to wear armbands.
