German FA is considering legal action against FIFA to end the ban on wearing One Love armbands

The German FA is considering taking legal action against FIFA to end its ban on wearing the LGBTQ One Love armbands during the Qatar World Cup.

England, Germany and five other European teams abandoned plans to wear rainbow-themed ‘Onelove’ armbands at the World Cup because of the threat of FIFA disciplinary action, that would see players wearing the arm band yellow-carded.

The armbands had been viewed as a symbolic protest against laws in World Cup host Qatar, where homosexuality is illegal.

Now, the German Football Association (DFB) is planning to take legal action to the International Court of Arbitration for Sports (CAS) over FIFA’s ban, which has only added the wider criticism of its decision to award Qatar the World Cup.

‘Fifa has banned us from showing diversity and human rights,’ a DFB spokesperson told Welt. ‘[FIFA] combined this with massive threats of sporting sanctions without specifying them. The DFB is checking whether this action by Fifa was lawful.’ 

The DFB will be hoping that legal action will overturn FIFA’s decision to ban the armband in time to allow captain Manuel Neuer to wear it when the German national team faces off against Spain on Sunday – without him receiving a yellow card.

It is unlikely that the ban will be overturned before Germany faves off against Japan in their first match on Wednesday.

This is a breaking news story. More to follow…