FA confirm Germany to join England in wearing poppies on their armbands ahead of Armistice Day
The FA were controversially fined by Fifa last year for displaying the poppy
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.Both England and Germany players will wear black armbands with poppies on during Friday’s friendly at Wembley, the day before Armistice Day, the Football Association has confirmed.
Both FA the German Football Association (DFB) agreed to wear the poppies in remembrance of members of the armed forces.
The International Football Association Board (IFAB) in September confirmed that the home nations would be allowed to display poppies on their kits during their respective fixtures in the lead up to Remembrance Sunday.
The FAs of the home nations were controversially fined by Fifa last year for displaying poppies on their armbands and in the crowds, despite having previously done so without any repercussions.
After the row that those fines caused, Fifa reneged and agreed to relax their rules banning political symbols during matches, although the FA still required the permission of their opponents to display the poppy, which Germany agreed to.
FA chief executive Martin Glenn said: “Remembering and commemorating the men and women who have served this country is ingrained in our nation.
“Many have made the ultimate sacrifice and we will be honouring them, both on and off-the-pitch, for our match against Germany. I would like to thank the DFB for also agreeing to wear the poppy for the match, in a show of solidarity and unity at this important time.
DFB president Reinhard Grindel said: “I positively welcome the decision to allow both the English and the German national teams to wear poppy armbands, because these are not about political propaganda in any way.
“They're about remembering the kind of values that were kicked to the ground in two World Wars but are cherished by football: respect, tolerance, and humanity.”
Friday’s commemorations will also see a replica of the ‘The Truce’ statue, which depicts the ceasefire in World War I on Christmas Day in 1914, when a game of football broke out between the English and German troops.
The statue will temporarily be displayed beside the statue of Bobby Moore at Wembley.
Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland will all also wear armbands bearing poppies during their internationals this week.
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments