Swiss Football Association Expresses Regret Over Ban on 'Rainbow Armbands'

"An Incomprehensible Decision"
Protest Against Qatar Over 'Human Rights Controversy'

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Hyunji Kwon] The Swiss Football Association expressed regret over the decision by the International Federation of Association Football (FIFA) to effectively ban the wearing of the 'rainbow armband' symbolizing opposition to discrimination during the 2022 Qatar World Cup matches.

Dominique Blanc, president of the Swiss Football Association, stated in a press release on the 27th (local time), "We are disappointed by FIFA's decision to prohibit the wearing of the rainbow-colored 'One Love' armband at this Qatar World Cup." He added, "Since this decision was made near the end of the tournament, the Swiss Football Association did not have enough time to respond," calling it "an incomprehensible and sad decision."

The rainbow armband carries a message protesting against the host country Qatar, which has faced various human rights controversies, and opposing discrimination. It features a rainbow-colored heart with the number 1 inscribed, hence also called the 'One Love' armband.

Switzerland, along with England, Germany, the Netherlands, Belgium, Wales, and Denmark, had planned to wear the rainbow armband during matches.

However, after FIFA announced that wearing the armband would result in a yellow card, effectively banning it, the seven national teams decided to forgo wearing the armband.

President Blanc explained, "We had been paying attention to the host country's human rights issues for several months before the tournament, but since FIFA made its sanction stance clear, we did not want to jeopardize our matches."

He emphasized, "That does not mean we value human rights less than a yellow card; that interpretation is completely wrong. We clearly demonstrated how much we value human rights ahead of the tournament."