Captain Manuel Neuer will not wear the "One Love" captain's armband at the German national soccer team's games at the World Cup in Qatar after all.
The German Football Association and the other associations involved in the campaign for equality and freedom of expression would refrain from using the symbol because of the threat of FIFA sanctions, the DFB announced on Monday.
Meanwhile, it was also announced this Monday that Interior Minister Nancy Faeser will be traveling to Qatar for the German national team's opening game.
The SPD politician responsible for sport will continue to travel to the emirate after her visit to Turkey, said a ministry spokesman for the AFP news agency.
The team of national coach Hansi Flick meets Japan on Wednesday (2:00 p.m. CET in the FAZ live ticker for the soccer World Cup, on ARD and on MagentaTV) for the tournament opener.
According to the spokesman, Faeser emphasized that she also "would like to continue the dialogue with the Qatari government on reforms there, in particular to improve the human rights situation".
The host of the World Cup is heavily criticized for human rights violations.