Germany and Japan faced off in a heated World Cup Group E match on Wednesday (23). Germany's captain Newa did not wear the rainbow armband against discrimination as previewed before the match, and appeared calm during the playing of the national anthem. However, during a group photo of the starting lineup, the 11 first-team players collectively covered their mouths with their hands, a silent gesture that seemed to protest some sort of gagging to the International
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A silent expression of discontent.
Previously, nine Final Week teams have announced their support for the One Love campaign, with captains wearing rainbow armbands to send a message against discrimination and in support of sexual minorities. However, the international
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Instead, the wearing of rainbow armbands was expressly forbidden, and players could have faced a yellow card warning before the start of the match if they broke the rules. On Monday (21), the teams decided to drop the protest after deliberation.
