LAST UPDATE | 21 Nov 2022
ROY KEANE BELIEVES Harry Kane and Gareth Bale should have “stuck to their guns” and worn the One Love captain’s armbands in support of LGBTQ+ rights regardless of what the English and Welsh FAs instructed.
Along with Germany, the Netherlands, Belgium, Denmark and Switzerland, England and Wales abandoned their plans citing the threat of disciplinary action from Fifa.
Speaking ahead of Wales’ clash with the USA tonight, Keane made it clear that he felt it was a mistake to back down.
“I think the players could have done it for the first game… And taken the punishment, whatever that might be. [Harry] Kane, obviously, you’re saying you’re risking that he’s going to get a yellow card, that was going to be the punishment,” he told ITV.
"That would have been a great statement!" 🙌
— ITV Football (@itvfootball) November 21, 2022
Roy Keane believes the England squad should have worn the One Love armband and taken any punishment that came their way...
🗣️ @markpougatch #ITVFootball | #FIFAWorldCup pic.twitter.com/P5TNTaq5v2
“But that would have been a great statement. Do it for the first game and take your yellow card. What a message that would have been from Kane or [Gareth] Bale. Take your medicine, and then in the next game you move on, you don’t wear it because obviously, again, you don’t want to be getting suspended.
“But I think it was a big mistake. I think both players — obviously, we’re talking about Wales and England here — should have stuck to their guns and done it, whatever the pressure from outside and from their own associations. Have the belief. If that’s what you believe, then go with it.”
Dutch boss Louis van Gaal said questions must be asked over whether Fifa has behaved correctly in the row over anti-discrimination armbands.
He has previously been scathing about the decision to host the finals in the Gulf state and said after his side’s 2-0 win over Senegal: “I don’t want to answer political questions, but one thing is clear – we’re not going to wear an armband if we are going to get a yellow card.
“We need to ask if this is a correct act on behalf of FIFA. All of us need to ask if this is a proper act – this is crystal clear.”
