FIFA to investigate Ecuador fans’ homophobic chants
Ecuador's football federation has not responded.
FIFA has said it has opened its first disciplinary proceedings against Ecuador over their fans’ alleged homophobic chanting at the opening of the World Cup.
During Ecuador’s opening game in Qatar on Sunday (20 November), some fans sang a homophobic chant against the rival side Chile, Reuters reports.
“The FIFA Disciplinary Committee has opened proceedings against the Ecuadorean Football Association due to chants by Ecuadorean supporters,” FIFA said in a statement late on Tuesday (22 November).
Citing article 13 of its disciplinary code, FIFA’s potential sanctions include a match without spectators or a ban on playing in a particular stadium.
There has reportedly been no response from Ecuador’s football federation so far. Ecuador currently sits at joint top of Group A with the Netherlands, who they face on Friday.
Ecuador’s other chants included “We want beer!” in reference to the stadium ban on alcohol.
It’s thought the FIFA investigation will unlikely be completed during the World Cup, the most likely punishment is said to be a fine with players unlikely to be affected.
Meanwhile, FIFA has been under the spotlight in the past few days due to their stance on One Love armbands that the captains of nine nations, including England, were planning to wear.
Just hours before the first match, FIFA threatened sanctions against players who would walk onto the pitch with the One Love armband.
England, Wales, Belgium, Denmark, Germany, the Netherlands, and Switzerland released a joint statement outlining that they could not put their players “in a position where they could face sporting sanctions” and therefore would not wear the armband.
“We are very frustrated by the Fifa decision, which we believe is unprecedented,” their statement continued.
The One Love armbands were a mark of solidarity with the LGBTQ+ community. In Qatar homosexuality is illegal and can be punished with seven years in prison or the death sentence.
The advocacy group Human Rights Watch recently reported that six LGBTQ Qataris had been beaten and sexually harassed while in police custody. These reports were denied by Qatar.
In a brave act of defiance, former Lioness and England captain Alex Scott wore the armband during match commentary.
Ahead of the World Cup, many from the sporting world spoke out against Qatar’s World Cup hosting, including England footballers Jake Daniels and Beth Mead, Scotland’s Zander Murray, and Australia’s Josh Cavallo.
The FIFA World Cup is being held until 18 December 2022.