German grocery store Rewe is making a stand in opposition to FIFA’s ban on the “One Love” arm bands and has put a right away cease to its cope with the German Soccer Affiliation.
Any promoting and promotions across the World Cup will stop instantly, and Rewe will now be gifting away FIFA merchandise, akin to collectable playing cards and sticker albums, free of charge as an alternative of charging. All earnings from gadgets already offered might be donated to charity.
Just like the Soccer Associations in England, the Netherlands, Belgium, Switzerland, Wales and Denmark, the German FA backed down from making the gesture when FIFA introduced that sanctions would come within the type of yellow playing cards and never simply fines.
However the German FA was courageous sufficient to talk out in opposition to FIFA’s choice. President Bernd Neuendorf mentioned: “It was a transparent risk in opposition to us as a result of we had been threatened of sporting sanctions. It was an unprecedented demonstration of energy by FIFA. We don’t need to struggle this battle on the again of our gamers.”
Rewe’s CEO Lionel Souque mentioned: “We stand for variety – and soccer is variety too. FIFA’s scandalous stance is completely unacceptable to me as CEO of a various firm and as a soccer fan.”
Armband activism is fairly performative anyway, particularly for the England crew when the lads’s recreation is so clearly a hostile atmosphere for LGBTQ+ gamers.
Good on Rewe (whose advert company is WPP’s thjnk) for placing its cash the place its mouth is. It won’t be Adidas or Coca-Cola, however German soccer remains to be very a lot rooted in native companies and fan possession.
