Roy Keane on what World Cup players could've done to fight clampdown on 'OneLove' armband

The ‘OneLove’ armband saga has become one of the most talked about topics in the ongoing FIFA World Cup 2022 in Qatar. Earlier on Monday, seven European international teams made an U-turn from their earlier statement about their respective captains wearing the ‘OneLove’ armband during the marquee event. While it was done to express solidarity towards the LGBTQ community, FIFA warned the countries that the players wearing the armbands will be shown yellow cards.

Revealing his thoughts on the matter, Irish football legend Roy Keane has now suggested what the players could have done to fight the clampdown on the ‘OneLove’ armband. Speaking on ITV, Keane criticized England and Wales for making an U-turn from their earlier statement and deciding to not wear the armbands. England and Wales were two of the seven European nations that opted to abide by FIFA’s take on the matter as England captain Harry Kane and his Wales counterpart Gareth Bale were spotted not wearing the armbands.

'I think it was a big mistake', says Keane

Revealing his thoughts on the topic, the Manchester United legend said, “I think the players could have done it for the first game - took the punishment, whatever that might be. If it's Kane you're risking getting a yellow card, but that would have been a great statement”. Keane went on to add that the captains could have worn the armbands in their first game, irrespective of the yellow card threat, as it would have sent a clear message.

“Take your medicine and in the next game, you move on. You don't wear it because you don't want to get suspended but, I think it was a big mistake because both players - Wales and England - should have stuck to their guns and done it. No matter the pressure from the outside and the associations have the belief, if that's what you believe, then go with it,” Keane added.

Heading into the FIFA World Cup 2022, hosts Qatar faced heavy from all corners of the sporting world for the humanitarian issues in the country. Human rights issues, intolerance towards the LGBTQ community, and the treatment of migrant workers are some of the biggest controversies surrounding the FIFA World Cup 2022 in Qatar. The quadrennial showpiece event kicked off on November 20 and is scheduled to continue till December 18.