Hummel, the sports sponsor of the Danish national team, has decided to remove its logo from the official jersey while participating in the 2022 World Cup in protest against Qatar’s “human rights records”.
The sports company said via its Instagram account: “With the new Danish jersey, we want to send two messages. We were inspired not only by the 1992 European Cup (I won the title), the best achievement in Danish football, but also by the protest against Qatar and the human rights record.
“We do not want to appear (our logo) in a tournament that has claimed thousands of lives,” the company added, referring to the deaths of workers during the construction of sports facilities and infrastructure, which Qatar completely denies.
In addition to the traditional red jersey of Denmark, the only Scandinavian country to take part in the World Cup, Hummel also introduced a gray and black jersey with a barely visible logo.
Since receiving the honor of hosting the 2022 FIFA World Cup, Qatar has faced many criticisms, especially regarding the rights of foreign workers.
With the start of the tournament scheduled for November 20 approaching, sponsors and sports brands have taken radical positions depending on the countries.
In Denmark, for example, the jerseys that the national team players will wear during training will carry “critical messages” knowing that the two companies sponsoring the jerseys (Danske Spiel and Arbeidernes) have agreed to replace the phrases with their logos.
Notably, the draw for the final of the 22nd FIFA 2022 World Cup in Qatar placed Denmark in Group D, which also included teams from France, defending champions, Australia and Tunisia.
Source: agencies