Boy prodigy Erling Haaland and the Norwegian national team sent a clear message in the human rights debate about World Cup hosts Qatar.
The striker from Bundesliga club Borussia Dortmund and his teammates wore white T-shirts with the inscription: “Human rights – on and next to the pitch” at the national anthem before their World Cup qualifier at football dwarf Gibraltar.
“We want to focus on the things that were discussed in advance, and the boys really wanted to. And I’m setting a good example,” said national coach Staale Solbakken before his debut at the broadcaster TV2. The coach and the substitute players also wore the shirt.
FIFA should be put under pressure
One wants to put pressure on the world association FIFA to act harder on Qatar, said Solbakken on Tuesday when he announced the action without going into detail. Norwegian football has been discussing a possible World Cup boycott for weeks. Haaland and Co. want to compete in 2022 if they qualify, but will continue to set standards.
The action could result in a FIFA penalty for the Norwegian association, which wants to vote on a boycott in June. This prohibits political messages in the context of their games.
Amnesty International in Norway welcomes the embassy
The Norwegian branch of Amnesty International welcomed the message. “I am very happy that you have chosen it,” said Secretary General John Peder Egenaes.
Sport-Informations-Service (SID)
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