Tottenham and France captain Hugo Lloris will not wear rainbow armband in Qatar and here is why

Tottenham and France captain Hugo Lloris has said he will not be wearing the rainbow armband designed to protest against descrimination during the World Cup in Qatar.

France are defending Champions and tasked with avoiding a crash at the group stage and captain Lloris says he’d rather just get on with the football than being drawn in politics.  This comes at a time when France is part of 13 countries including England who joined the ‘One Love’ campaign started in the Netherlands earlier in the year.

With barely a week before a ball is kicked in Qatar, the host nation is under huge pressure to take a second look at their laws which frown against LGBTQ+ and human rights.  There are also concerns on migrant workers with a reported 6,500 people said to have died on building sites according to a report in the Guardian back in February.

But the France and Tottenham captain who will be taking part in his fourth World Cup says he is going to keep his focus on the pitch and respect the laws of Qatar.

Lloris told Franceinfo canal 27: “I have my personal opinion. When we welcome strangers in France, we often want them to comply with our rules and requirements. I will do the same in Qatar. I have to show respect for that.

The 35-year-old added that there was so much pressure on football players to take a stand when those who should really be held accountable are hiding behind the scenes.

Lloris added: “If you have to apply pressure, first of all it had to be 10 years ago. Now it’s too late. You have to understand that for players this opportunity happens every four years and you want every chance to succeed. The focus has to be on the field. The rest is for politicians. We are athletes.”