Kane, Southgate on anti-discrimination campaign: Only so much players can do
England captain Harry Kane and head coach Gareth Southgate have once again backed the ‘OneLove’ anti-discrimination campaign but accepted it will have a limited impact in Qatar.
On Wednesday it was announced England would join forces with nine other European nations in a campaign against discrimination. Originally initiated by the Netherlands, the OneLove campaign aims to promote inclusion, with captains wearing a distinctive armband.
Kane will pull on that armband for the first time in England’s Nations League tie with Italy at the San Siro on Friday night and the intention is for it to be worn in Qatar during the World Cup as well.
Asked about the impact the campaign could realistically have in Qatar, given the country’s human rights record, Kane said: “There is only so much the players can actually do and wearing the armband on the biggest stage in the world will have an impact.
“But we can only do what we can. We have definitely taken a step forward to help some of the issues in Qatar.”
Kane revealed he had spoken to former team-mate and Denmark captain Christian Eriksen and his current Tottenham colleague Hugo Lloris, who captains France, about the campaign.
It has been launched just a couple of months before the World Cup kicks off in Qatar, where a spotlight has been shone on the treatment of migrant workers and where Kick It Out says there is a “risk” for LGBTQ+ fans and players who may wish to travel to the Gulf state for the tournament due to homosexuality being criminalised in the country.
Asked about the campaign, England boss Gareth Southgate added: “There is not a lot more the players in particular can do other than talk about those issues and put them on the table because in the end, we are asking for change in a country we are respectful of, has made progress, but don’t have any control over.”
Southgate continued: “We’ve done a lot of research, the FA have had countless meetings with NGOs, migrant workers in Qatar, they’ve gathered all the information and requests of people affected. There’s a limit to what can be achieved.
“There will always be criticism, whatever you do but we’re trying to affect the areas we’ve been asked to affect. I think it’s difficult to do more than we’ve been asked.
More to follow…
England’s World Cup Group B fixtures
November 21: Iran (Khalifa International Stadium, Al Rayyan) – kick-off 1pm
November 25: USA (Al Bayt Stadium, Al Khor) – kick-off 7pm
November 29: Wales (Ahmed bin Ali Stadium, Al Rayyan) – kick-off 7pm