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<\/a>\ntalkSPORT spoke with the man in charge of delivering the Qatar World Cup over the OneLove armband situation<\/em><\/p>\n
Germany players covered their mouths in a team photo before their 2-1 defeat to Japan in a message to world football\u2019s governing body, while Manuel Neuer hid the FIFA armband he had been ordered to wear under his shirt.<\/p>\n Now, Al-Thawadi, Secretary General of the Supreme Committee for Delivery and Legacy of the Qatar World Cup, has accused Western nations of failing to show respect and understanding for Middle Eastern culture.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s a FIFA decision. I wasn\u2019t part of that discussion,\u201d he told talkSPORT in a wide-ranging exclusive interview.<\/p>\n \u201cTheir policy is they have their armbands representing inclusivity and a number of topics, sustainability, so on and so forth.<\/p>\n \u201cI wasn\u2019t nervous about it, but for me, if a team decided to do it throughout the entire season, that is one thing.<\/p>\n \u201cIt goes back to the simple fact that this is a part of the world that has its own set of values. It is a part of the world, not Qatar, I\u2019m talking about the Arab world.<\/p>\n \u201cFor teams to come and preach or make statements, that is fine, but what you\u2019re essentially saying is you\u2019re protesting an Islamic country hosting an event. So where does that end?<\/p>\n \u201cDoes that mean Islamic countries can never host events? There will be different values and different views coming in.<\/p>\n \u201cSo if you\u2019re making a statement here in Qatar or specifically addressed to Qatar, and by extension the Islamic world, or course I take issue with that. It leaves a very divisive message.<\/p>\n \u201cWe\u2019re saying everybody is welcome and we want people to experience it on the ground.\u201d<\/p>\n The World Cup chief doubled down on the host nation\u2019s views towards the LGBTQ+ community and urged visiting fans to \u2018understand\u2019 it.<\/p>\n He added: \u201cFrom day one, we have said everybody is welcome. We have also asked for people to come and respect our culture, our religion.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s not a Qatari culture or Qatari religion, these values are regional. It\u2019s for the Islamic world, the Arab world, the Middle East.<\/p>\n \u201cWe want everybody from every walk of life to come here and you\u2019ve got people from every corner of the world engaging, educating themselves and having a good time.<\/p>\n \u201cBut when it comes to a topic like this, it is a complicated topic. This is something for us, or at least for this part of the world, that is a fundamental part of religious values.<\/p>\n<\/a>
\nHarry Kane was among national team captains set to wear the OneLove armband against Iran before FIFA intervened<\/em>
\nHowever, they backtracked after FIFA threatened sporting sanctions against players who wore it, with an immediate yellow card a potential punishment, which caused widespread disappointment.<\/p>\n<\/a>
\nGermany took a stance against FIFA for not being able to wear the OneLove armband<\/em>
\n\u201cBut if they are coming to make a point or a statement in Qatar, that is something I have an issue with.<\/p>\n<\/a>
\nTV pundit Alex Scott wore the OneLove armband before England\u2019s game against Iran as she spoke from the side of the pitch<\/em>
\nAl-Thawadi was pressed by talkSPORT host Jim White on reports of rainbow-coloured objects, such as bucket hats and watches, being confiscated by Qatari officials.<\/p>\n