Whisper it – you have to, beneath the barrage of furious indignation, bad temper, even declarations of “war”, from the prime minister down, over our gentle symbol of peace – but Fifa has a point about poppies. World football’s governing body, which Fifa still is, tried to articulate this as it unveiled the fines levelled at the football associations of England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, for framing their November World Cup qualifiers as Armistice Day events.
“It is not our intention to judge or question specific commemorations as we fully respect the significance of such moments in the respective countries, each one of them with its own history and background,” Claudio Sulser, the chairman of the disciplinary committee, explained. “However, keeping in mind that the rules need to be applied in a neutral and fair manner across Fifa’s 211 member associations, the display, among others, of any political or religious symbol is strictly prohibited.”
Related: FA to appeal against Fifa fine over poppies at World Cup qualifier
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