" the FA’s thinking on all this, there are really only two possibilities. The first is that they knew very well would prohibit it, because they always do, so always planned to fold at the first sign of threat (which they did)…
… In a modern game in which they’re everywhere, there is something very will-this-do about armbands in general. They feel like little more than a hashtag-heavy social media template. You retweet it, you undo the retweet. You make a big show of wearing it, then you discard it the minute you’re threatened with a yellow. Easy come, easy go.
It seems strange to have to state this, when historically it was axiomatic: but true activism typically involves rather higher stakes than this, and at the very least the potential for some kind of personal sacrifice. As we can see from the hugely perilous collectivist endeavours unfolding in Iran, it is rather harder work to refuse to wear the hijab than it is to be banned from wearing the armband. No one is remotely saying that England players need to take to the streets and risk their lives for a cause they say they truly believe in. But taking a yellow is arguably doable – and if it honestly isn’t, then don’t even bother trailing the gesture in the first place. It’s an insult to those who do seriously put themselves out."
As far as I’m concerned, they can fuck off to Qatar. They are at a stage of corruption at which they are starting to taint the country negatively in my opinion. The passivity of Swiss authorities towards these cunts is staggering to be fair, but still, we are still a democracy and the principle of rule and law applies.
So, they can go lost to Qatar. That way, no-one will remain under any illusion, and their corruption will permanently be in plain sight for everyone to see.
Watching Infantino’s little tour de force the other day was confirmation , if any were even needed , that him and his organisation had been bought and paid for in full. And it was an open invitation for anyone else wishing to hold the tournament in future , as to how they should go about it should they wish to succeed. It’s just blatant , unapologetic corruption.
Reports that Denmark is considering leaving FIFA. If some of the bigger UEFA markets go along, it will really provoke a crisis. In the end, FIFA needs that TV money.
I by no means think it was planned to work out this way, but in many ways the way the armband issue has played out has done more to highlight the issue they (allegedly) wanted to highlight than would have happened had they just been allowed to wear them.
It is every bit as stupid as the obviously false announced crowds exceeding capacities. No one would have noticed the armbands after the first match. They would have been pointless tokens of hypocrisy, wearing a protest while going along with the entire spectacle.
