Picture Credit: Twitter
Germany players took the ongoing FIFA World Cup 2022 by storm as they marked their protest by covering their mounts in protest ahead of their World Cup opener against Japan in response to FIFA's threat to sanction any player who wore the OneLove Armband.
The European side hit back at FIFA by stating that denying them wearing armbands is the same as denying them a voice. While Germany was shocked by Japan in the match, Hansi Flick's team got much relief as FIFA decided not to take any action against them for their activities ahead of the beginning of the match.
Meanwhile, German fans have jumped into the scene by referring to the treatment of Ozil, the World Cup-winning player who hit out at alleged racism within the squad when opting to retire from international football in 2018.
As Germany took on Spain at Al Bayt stadium, several supporters in the stands were seen covering their mouths while holding up photos of Ozil. One spectator went even further, walking around the stadium, and as he reached near German fans, he held the large photo of the former Arsenal star.
Recalling Ozil's stance on racism, he had mentioned that he would not play for Germany at an international level owing to the prevalence of racism.
"I used to wear the German shirt with pride and excitement, but now I don't. This difficulty has been extremely difficult to make because I have always given everything for my teammates, the coaching staff and the good people of Germany," he had added.
However, the German FA confirmed that by covering their mouth, they just wanted to take a stand for values, which should not be judged as a political statement.
"It wasn't about making a political statement – human rights are non-negotiable. That should be taken for granted, but it still isn't the case. That's why this message is so important to us. Denying us the armband is the same as denying us a voice. We stand by our position," the German FA tweeted.