Wijnaldum wears captain’s armband with text ‘OneLove’ in round of 16

Wijnaldum wears captain’s armband

Georginio Wijnaldum wears a captain’s band with the text ‘OneLove’ during the round of 16 at the European Championships on Sunday. The players of the Dutch national team want to make a statement against a questionable law that was recently adopted in Hungary.

“By wearing this band, we as orange want to emphasize that we stand for inclusiveness and connection. We are opposed to all forms of exclusion and discrimination. We hope to support anyone who feels discriminated against anywhere in the world,” said Wijnaldum, who plays with his team in the Hungarian capital Budapest on Sunday.

The initiative is mainly a response to a law recently adopted in the Hungarian Parliament, which prohibits it from ‘promoting’ homosexuality and gender change among young people up to the age of 18.

Prime Minister Viktor Orbán’s government sees the legislation as a way to stand up for the welfare of children, but critics talk of an attack on freedom of expression.

Wijnaldum wears captain’s armband

Munich also wanted to make a statement

Munich also wanted to make a statement, hulling the Allianz Arena in rainbow colours for the European Championship game between Germany and Hungary. Because it is forbidden to make political statements at the European Championship, the European Football Association did not give UEFA permission for this action.

Manuel Neuer, the captain of the German national team, always plays with a band in the rainbow colours around his upper arm at the European Championships. UEFA has also considered this. The agency had no objection.

The dutch team’s round of 16 starts on Sunday at 18.00 in the Puskás Aréna. No administrator or member of the royal family will be present at the competition. Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte said it had nothing to do with the controversial law passed in Hungary. “It just wasn’t planned,” Rutte said in the Lower House.

The Netherlands will play in the round of 16 against the number three of Group D, E or F.

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