Belgium have forced to make a last-minute change to their World Cup away kit following FIFA 's crackdown on the 'One Love' campaign.
FIFA banned captains of seven nations from wearing the One Love armband just before the first round of games kicked off. The governing body have now taken further aim at Belgium due to a further message the Red Devils were set to include on their white away shirt.
Belgium unveiled their away kit back in September and as part of their link with Adidas and Tomorrowland, were set to include the word 'Love' on the neck. In their announcement the Belgian FA made it clear they wanted to spread a message of inclusivity.
"With the kit, the Belgian Red Devils and partners involved intend to make a positive, fun statement of LOVE in times of turmoil. On the authentic jersey, the LOVE sign-off is featured as neck detail in the inner neck of the jersey," a statement at the time read.
"On the replica jersey, it is featured on the outside of the jersey. LOVE, with the Tomorrowland logo as letter O, is a subtle prompt to remind all to celebrate life and each other more."
But following the banning of the One Love armband, FIFA have now also told the Belgian FA that they must remove the word 'Love' from the away kit. Peter Bossaert, CEO of the Belgian FA, confirmed the news of the kit change on Monday.
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“The word LOVE must disappear. It's sad, but FIFA leaves us no choice. The rest of the equipment remains unchanged,” Bossaert said. It was not expected that Belgium would wear their away kit until the knockout stages, though they did wear it in a warm-up friendly against Egypt last week.
Bossaert has also slammed FIFA for banning the One Love armband that Eden Hazard was set to wear. The armband was seen as a gesture of support to the LGBT+ community, who are persecuted in World Cup host country Qatar.
But FIFA have threatened any captain stepping onto the pitch wearing one with an automatic yellow card, leading to a collapse in support from the nations part of the campaign. It is a situation that has left Bossaert furious.
“We have no choice, because the penalties are disproportionate. We can't risk Eden getting a yellow card before the game starts. We were prepared to pay high fines and we also indicated this in our conversations with FIFA," he said
"But there was simply no consultation possible. That means that we cannot continue our action. That band is not a political statement. It is a call for more inclusiveness and a signal for diversity.
"We really went to great lengths to reach an agreement, until FIFA suddenly indicated that yellow cards would be handed out. The referees had already been instructed to give it if anyone wore that band. We wanted to defuse the situation, but we didn't succeed.
“In the coming period, the RBFA will take a critical look at its relationship with FIFA, together with the other countries involved. Look, our position is clear. FIFA's response has made that position even clearer than ever before, the whole world knows it."
