ФИФА-гийн дүрэм зөрчсөн байж болзошгүй уг үйлдлийг АНУ-ын Цагаан ордон үг хэлэх эрх чөлөөний хүрээнд авч үзэж байна.
Английн шигшээ багийг хожсон хагас шигшээ тоглолтын дараа Кристиан Ромеро, Жовани Ло Селсо нар “Las Malvinas son Argentinas” буюу “Фолькленд бол Аргентиных” гэсэн бичигтэй туг барьж талбай дээр гарч ирсэн юм. Энэхүү үйлдэл нь Олон улсын хөлбөмбөгийн холбооны зөвлөл (IFAB)-ийн улс төрийн шинжтэй уриа лоозон ашиглахыг хориглосон дүрмийг зөрчсөн байж болзошгүй тул ФИФА тоглолтын тайланг үндэслэн хариуцлага тооцох эсэхээ судалж байна.
Их Британийн улс төрчид уг үйлдлийг эрс шүүмжилж, тухайн тоглогчдыг финалд оролцуулахгүй байх хүртэл арга хэмжээ авахыг уриалжээ. Британийн Ерөнхий сайд Кир Стармер хөлбөмбөгт улс төр оролцуулах ёсгүй гэсэн байр суурийг илэрхийлсэн бол Аргентины дэд ерөнхийлөгч Виктория Вильярруэл тоглогчдоо дэмжиж, уг асуудал аргентинчуудын зүрх сэтгэлд байдаг гэж мэдэгдсэн байна.
Дэлхийн цомын ажлын хэсгийн гүйцэтгэх захирал Эндрю Жулиани АНУ-ын Үндсэн хуулийн нэгдүгээр нэмэлтийн дагуу тоглогчид үзэл бодлоо илэрхийлэх эрхтэй гэж үзэж байгаагаа илэрхийлэв. Гэсэн хэдий ч ФИФА-гийн цэнгэлдэх хүрээлэнгийн дүрэмд улс төр, шашин шүтлэг болон аливаа ялгаварлан гадуурхсан шинжтэй уриа, бэлгэдэл бүхий зүйлийг хориглосон байдаг тул сахилгын шийтгэл хүлээх эрсдэл хэвээр байна.
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The White House has defended the Argentina’s football team’s right to free speech after waving of a Falklands banner in the wake of their semi-final win over England.
The sign, originally held by fans but taken onto the pitch during the full-time celebrations, supported the country’s territorial claim to the islands.The flag read “Las Malvinas son Argentinas”, which translates to “The Falklands are Argentine”.
It risked being in breach of the International Football Association Board’s (IFAB) rules on political flags.
A number of politicians condemned the team for displaying the message in the following days, including Ed Davey — leader of the UK political party the Liberal Democrats —who suggested the players involved should be suspended from Sunday’s final against Spain.
Argentina’s Cristian Romero and Giovani Lo Celso holding the banner (Thomas Coex / AFP via Getty Images)
Governing body FIFA said it was “assessing match reports” before deciding whether to punish Argentina over the incident.
Once FIFA has received those reports, it will make an assessment and decide on what the next steps should be. There is no set timeframefor any decisions to be made. FIFA has been approached for comment.
On Friday, however, executive director of the World Cup task force Andrew Giuliani defended the celebrations. When asked if he thought the players were wrong to wave the banner, he said they had the “ability” to do so.
“We believe in our First Amendment rights here in the United States of America,” Giuliani said, after being asked on his thoughts by Sky News. “In terms of the ability and opportunity to be able to make those statements, they have the ability to do that in the United States.”
The first amendment of the U.S. constitution defends the right to free speech and “the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances”.
IFAB’s rulebook states:“Equipment must not have any political, religious or personal slogans, statements or images. Players must not reveal undergarments that show political, religious, personal slogans, statements or images, or advertising other than the manufacturer’s logo.”
The Falklands dispute dates back to British invasions of Argentina in the Napoleonic Wars in the early 19th century. Britain initially claimed the islands in 1774 and reasserted its rule in 1832. In 1982, Argentina’s military government invaded in an attempt to take the territory from the United Kingdom. The conflict lasted from April 2 to June 14 and ended with an Argentine surrender. In all, three civilians, 255 British and 649 Argentine troops died.
If the banner unfurled is deemed to be political in nature, it would also contravene FIFA’s stadium code of conduct.
The banner in the crowd as fans celebrated Argentina’s win. (Reuters / Paul Childs)
“Any materials, including but not limited to banners, flags, fliers, apparel and other paraphernalia, that are of a political, offensive and/or discriminatory nature, containing wording, symbols or any other attributes aimed at discrimination of any kind against a country, private person or group on account of race, skin colour, ethnicity, national or social origin, gender identity and expression, disability, language, religion, political opinion or any other opinion, birth, wealth or any other status, sexual orientation or on any other grounds,” FIFA’s list of prohibited items reads.
The tension between the constitutional right free speech and football’s laws have appeared more than once at the World Cup.The Athletic reported on May 25 that a non-profit group had threatened FIFA with legal action if they do not reverse its current policy of pre-revolutionary Iran flag from the tournament’s venues.
UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer said earlier this week that any potential sanctions are a matter for FIFA.
A spokesperson for Starmer told reporters: “The World Cup might not be ours, but the Falkland Islands definitely are. Our position is unchanged. Self-determination rests with the islanders, and our commitment to the Falklands will never waver.
“More broadly, potential action is a matter for FIFA, but it’s been a fantastic World Cup, and we’ve said throughout that politics should stay out of football.”
Argentina vice president Victoria Villarruel, meanwhile, who had also referenced the Falklands before Wednesday’s semi-final, voiced her support for the banner.
Villarruel posted a photo on X of the Argentina team celebrating with the flag, accompanied with the caption: “The Falklands are Argentine! They banned bringing them to the stadium and forgot that we carry them in our blood and our hearts.”
