With a rainbow flag and a political Superman shirt, the activist ran across the lawn of Lusail Stadium. “Save Ukraine” on the front of the blue T-shirt, on the back “Respect for Iranian Woman” – the three messages from the Italian Mario Ferri at the World Cup match between Portugal and Uruguay went around the football world on Monday evening. The morning after, one question determined the events of the tournament in Qatar: How is the man?
What is known about the action and the man
Shortly before his action, Mario Ferri posted short videos on the Instagram network, he paid homage to his great “idol” Cristiano Ronaldo. His action has not been announced. Ferri then ran across the lawn, was stopped by stewards and taken to the catacombs. The images were not shown during the TV broadcast, which has been the norm in world football for such incidents for years. The rainbow flag was lifted by referee Alireza Faghani and sent off.
The Italian, who himself played top-flight football for clubs in his home country, in India and Jordan, has already had a number of speedster campaigns behind him – including the German World Cup game in South Africa in 2010 against Spain and in Brazil in 2014 in the game between Belgium and the USA.
“I am free” – what is known about the consequences for the activist
The world association FIFA and the World Cup organizing committee did not comment until Tuesday afternoon. According to his own statements, Mario Ferri is not in custody. “I’m free,” Italian Mario Ferri wrote in a story on his Instagram page early Tuesday afternoon (local time). He thanked for the support. There were no legal ramifications, Ferri wrote.
Unlike in national leagues and European club competitions, at a World Cup there is no home club to blame for incidents involving spectators. The case is initially with the security forces of the World Cup organizer.
Which parallels are known
In principle, speedsters in football are first asked to pay, but there are big differences in case law. After four activists from the political punk group Pussy Riot in police uniforms got onto the lawn during the 2018 World Cup final in Russia, a Moscow court imposed 15 days of arrest.
In Qatar, the fact that after the massive criticism in the months and years leading up to the finals, the international media will look very closely at the treatment of the rainbow activist, could play a role in the further course of action.
What is known about the embassies
The rainbow flag is a central symbol for the LGBTQI* community. In German, LGBTQI stands for lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans, queer and intersexual.
Homosexuality is illegal in Qatar and punishable by up to seven years in prison. The lettering “Save Ukraine” clearly alludes to Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine. “Respect for Iranian Woman” deals with the fate of thousands in Iran, where protests against the government and the Islamic system of rule have been going on for weeks. The uprisings are often led by women. Many deaths are reported. Referee Faghani, who officiated the game with the speedster, is Iranian.
What was said in the stadium
“I hope nothing happens to the boy,” said Portuguese midfielder Rúben Neves after the game that secured Portugal a place in the last 16. “We all got his message, the whole world.” (Tsp,dpa)
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Source: Tagesspiegel
Brayden White, a veteran sports writer at Global Happening, brings his wealth of knowledge and expertise to the sports section. With over a decade of experience, he is committed to delivering high-quality coverage of the latest games and events.
