Delegates from the Danish FA (DBU) have revealed at World Cup 2022 that the organisation will not vote for current FIFA president Gianni Infantino in the next election, amid the controversy of the OneLove armband.
Eight nations were planning to wear the multi-coloured armband throughout the tournament in Qatar, where homosexuality is illegal. However, on Monday these nations reneged on this idea, following threats by FIFA to book captains who promoted the campaign.
Speaking at a press conference on Wednesday morning, Danish football association (DBU) CEO Jakob Jensen revealed that a yellow card was the minimum punishment that captains would have faced for wearing the OneLove armbands.
"On November 21, England asked for an emergency meeting with FIFA, who came to the English hotel,” Jensen said. "FIFA said it would at least give a yellow card.
"There has been discussion about whether there is a legal basis for giving a yellow card, but there is. The penalty could have been a yellow card, that the captain had not come on the pitch or that he was given a ban."
Due to FIFA's stance on the situation, DBU chairman Jesper Moller clarified that the organisation will not be voting for current FIFA president Gianni Infantino at the next election.
“There are presidential elections in FIFA. There are 211 countries in FIFA and I understand that the current president has statements of support from 207 countries,” Moller said. “Denmark is not among those countries. And we’re not going to be either.”
Infantino currently stands unopposed in the elections, though. Consequently, Moller revealed Denmark have been considering what other options the DBU can take, with discussions having taken place with other Nordic nations since August.
“It is not a decision that has been made now. We have been clear about this for a long time. We have been discussing it in the Nordic region since August,” he said.
“I’ve thought it again. I imagine that there may be challenges if Denmark leaves on its own. But let us see if we cannot have a dialogue on things.
“I have to think about the question of how to restore confidence in FIFA. We must evaluate what has happened, and then we must create a strategy – also with our Nordic colleagues.”
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