Why Did the German National Football Team Cover Their Mouths During the Group Photo?

On the afternoon of the 23rd (local time), before the Group E match between Germany and Japan at the 2022 Qatar World Cup held at Khalifa International Stadium in Al Rayyan, Qatar, German players covered their mouths with their hands while taking a commemorative photo. Photo by Yonhap News Agency

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[Asia Economy Reporter Hyunju Park] The German national football team players who participated in the 2022 Qatar World Cup posed covering their mouths while taking a group photo. This performance was interpreted as a protest against Qatar, where human rights violations have been controversial, and as a sign of solidarity with sexual minorities, replacing the rainbow armband.

On the 23rd (Korean time), before the Group E first match against Japan at the Khalifa International Stadium in Al Rayyan, Qatar, the German team players simultaneously covered their mouths with their right hands during the group photo session of the Best 11 held on the ground.

German magazine Kicker and the dpa news agency reported that this gesture appeared to be a protest against the ban on the 'One Love' armband. This armband, filled with rainbow colors and marked with the number 1 inside a heart, symbolizes opposition to discrimination and protests against the host country Qatar, where human rights violations have been raised.

Earlier, captains from seven European countries including Germany, England, and the Netherlands decided to wear this armband during matches to express their commitment to diversity and anti-discrimination. However, the International Federation of Association Football (FIFA) responded by threatening sanctions such as issuing yellow cards if players wore the armband during matches, sparking controversy. Kicker reported, "The pose taken by the players seemed to say to FIFA, 'You cannot silence us.'"

On that day, captain and starting goalkeeper Manuel Neuer played wearing the 'No Discrimination (#NoDiscrimination)' armband on his left arm, which FIFA released just before the tournament started. The rainbow armband, which the players could not wear, was worn by Germany's Interior Minister Nancy Faeser in the stands instead.

The England national team, which played the Group B first match against Iran on the night of the 21st, also could not wear the rainbow armband. Instead, they performed a kneeling gesture to resist Qatar's human rights violations and support diversity and inclusion. Captain Harry Kane wore the 'No Discrimination' armband instead of the rainbow armband during the match.

Regarding this, England national team coach Gareth Southgate said at a press conference on the 20th, "We decided to perform the kneeling gesture before the start of the match. We felt it was necessary," adding, "We believe kneeling will be a powerful expression to show young people around the world how important inclusion is."

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