England and Wales captains Harry Kane and Gareth Bale made a ‘mistake’ by backing down over wearing one love armbands in their opening games of the World Cup in Qatar, according to former Nottingham Forest man Roy Keane.
Plans for seven European nations to wear the armband, which includes the rainbow symbol in order to promote diversity and inclusivity, were originally made in September. But the nations were warned by FIFA just days before the first games that the captains would face sporting sanctions should they wear the symbol as planned.
The threat of the captains being shown an instant yellow card, or even facing match suspensions, for wearing the armband, led to the seven associations to step down. "FIFA has been very clear that it will impose sporting sanctions if our captains wear the armbands on the field of play," they said in a joint statement ahead of Monday’s games.
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“As national federations, we can’t put our players in a position where they could face sporting sanctions including bookings, so we have asked the captains not to attempt to wear the armbands in FIFA World Cup games.
“We were prepared to pay fines that would normally apply to breaches of kit regulations and had a strong commitment to wearing the armband. However, we cannot put our players in the situation where they might be booked or even forced to leave the field of play.”
Instead, both Kane and Bale wore FIFA approved armbands that displayed a message reading ‘no discrimination’ in their games against Iran and USA. But the decision to step down over the original plans have been criticised.
Keane, who is working as a pundit for the tournament, said that the players themselves should have taken a stand over the situation. “I think the players could have done it for the first game, and took the punishment, whatever that might be,” he told ITV Sport.
“With Kane, you’re risking getting a yellow card, if that’s going to be the punishment that would be a great statement. Do it for the first game, if you get your yellow card what a message that would have been from Kane or Bale.
"Take your medicine and then the next game you move on, you don’t wear it, because if you wear it again you get suspended. But I think it was a big mistake.
“I think particularly Wales and England should have stuck to their guns and done it, whatever pressure from outside and from their own associations. Have the belief, if that’s what you believe, and go with it.”
Piers Morgan was in agreement with the former Forest man, writing on Twitter: ”As always, Keane is spot on…”
The message comes as the tournament is played in a country where it is still illegal to be gay. Both Kane and Bale will wear the FIFA approved armband for the remaining group games and for any further games that the nations play in the tournament.
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