"That seems weak": DFB embarrassed itself with a false rainbow flag on the captain's armband

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Manuel Neuer's special captain's armband - it is intended to be a sign against discrimination and for diversity, but does not show the rainbow colors of the LGBTQ* movement

Photo: Sebastian Gollnow / dpa

Two months before the German national team's first World Cup game against Japan, the debate about the appropriate attitude towards tournament hosts Qatar continues.

Above all, the captain's armband, intended as a symbol for the DFB team and other major football nations such as England, France or the Netherlands, with a color scheme based on the rainbow flag, is the focus of criticism.

Many users on social media criticized that the colors were not those of the Pride Flag - the rainbow flag that is a sign of solidarity with the LGBTQ* scene and consists of the colors red, orange, yellow and green , blue and purple.

DFB keeper Manuel Neuer has worn a bandage in these colors in the past.

At the time, however, the European football union Uefa considered wearing the rainbow tie to be a political sign, which is prohibited by its statutes.

She therefore launched a review, which was stopped again after much criticism.

FDP General Secretary Bijan Djir-Sarai criticized what he saw as the German national team's wrong consideration of World Cup host Qatar, saying: "If you want to stand up credibly against discrimination and for human rights and diversity, then you should also have the necessary backbone .

Also - and especially - in a country like Qatar, where the human rights situation is still problematic," Djir-Sarai told the German Press Agency on Friday.

The legal situation for members of the LGBTIQ* community in Qatar is currently the focus of criticism, but also the question of whether football will publicly comply.

The pad now developed has multicolored stripes with a 1 and the words "One Love".

Djir-Sarai said: "To me, this idea seems like a poor attempt to step on nobody's toes - neither the Pride movement nor the organizers of the World Cup.

But human rights are non-negotiable.«

Fan representative Minden: "Expect more from the DFB"

“That seems weak.

It's not even the Pride flag, it has other colors on it.

If it's the only thing that comes down to attitude from the DFB, that would be embarrassing to catastrophic.

I expect more from the DFB and I also think that there will be more," said the representative of the fan organization "Unsere curve", Dario Minden, in an interview with the newspaper "Der Tagesspiegel".

Minden became the face of Qatar's critics after a verbal confrontation with the Qatari ambassador to Germany at a DFB congress last Monday.

“I have sex with other men.

That is normal.

Get used to it or get out of football,” Minden said to the diplomat on the podium and received a lot of praise online.

Neuer defends the importance of the captain's armband

»The love of football unites us all.

No matter where we come from, what we look like and who we love.

Football is for everyone.

And football must be there for everyone who feels discriminated against and excluded, all over the world,” Neuer had previously emphasized.

The captains of England, the Netherlands, Belgium, Switzerland, Wales, France, Denmark, Norway and Sweden will also take part - although not all nations have qualified for the controversial Desert World Cup (20 November to 18 December).

»I am proud to send this message along with my fellow captains from other nations.

Because every vote counts,” Neuer continued.

He wanted to wear the captain's armband for the first time today (8:45 p.m. / ZDF) in the Nations League in Leipzig against Hungary, but will be absent due to a corona infection.

see/dpa