FIFA’s ban on the rainbow armband causes anger at an advertising partner of the German football association.
The World Cup in Qatar continues to cause trouble, and it’s got nothing to do with some of the shock results on the pitch. FIFA’s decision to effectively ban seven European teams from wearing ´One Love´ rainbow armbands in support of diversity has come in for widespread criticism, with FIFA threatening the respective associations with player bookings and points’ deductions; the organisations that have been warned include the German association, DFB, and the English Football Association, FA.
In response to this development, the German retail group Rewe has suspended its partnership agreement with the DFB with immediate effect, and it has also said it would relinquish advertising rights. Lionel Souque, CEO of the group, said that FIFA’s “scandalous attitude is absolutely unacceptable” to him as head of a “diverse company and as a football fan”. Souque has been CEO of the retail and tourism group since 2017.
The company added that the World Cup sticker album, available at Rewe supermarkets in Germany and Austria, will be immediately distributed free of charge. The company will bear the costs with Rewe donating all proceeds from albums already sold to charity.
