This statement is clear: “We don’t want to be visible at a tournament that has cost the lives of thousands of people,” said jersey manufacturer Hummel. The Danish national football team will therefore play in a decent jersey at the World Cup in Qatar. That goes down well.
The Danish national football team wants to set an example with their jerseys at the World Cup in Qatar. This is particularly evident in the all-black third jersey. The Danes are concerned with the exploitation of workers and human rights violations in the host country. “This is another way to show that we don’t approve of some things about hosting the World Cup in Qatar,” Jakob Jensen, chief executive of the Danish Football Association DBU, told TV2.
The shirt is “one of many” critical signs of the Danish selection with a view to the situation in the desert state, the official emphasized. Denmark will appear in Qatar like the German selection with the “One Love” captain’s armband.
Morten Lund from the Danish outfitter Hummel speaks of the black jersey as a “walking mourning ribbon” and a sign of protest. The trademark of the sporting goods manufacturer is only recognizable at second glance on the very simple shirts – also on the red and white ones – like the association emblem. “We don’t want to be visible at a tournament that has cost the lives of thousands of people,” it said.
“While we do our utmost to support the Danish national team, this should not be confused with supporting the tournament. We want to take a stand against the human rights situation in Qatar and the treatment of migrant workers who built the country’s World Cup stadiums,” wrote Bumblebee on Instagram. “We believe sport should bring people together. And if that’s not the case, we want to make a mark.”
The World Cup jerseys are proving to be a bestseller: on the day of publication, more of them were sold than ever before in the history of the 1992 European champion. The supplier donates part of the proceeds to the human rights organization Amnesty International. EM semi-finalist Denmark contests its World Cup preliminary round matches in group D. World champions France, Tunisia and Australia are the opponents there.
