The KNVB’s decision to cancel the planned repeat campaign with the OneLove captain’s armband can expect severe criticism from Marjan Olfers. The sports and law professor is a member of the KNVB Mijnals committee that fights against racism and for inclusion in football and regrets that the action will not go ahead.

“We weren’t aware of this decision and I think that’s a shame,” said Olfers at the table on Friday evening news hour knows. “In fact, I really regret it. Inclusion is so incredibly important, that’s what we all stand for. Also the KNVB, so use us too.”

“Go into this fight together,” Olfers urged the Dutch Football Association. “We all know it’s not easy, but don’t do it alone.”

For solidarity, against discrimination

The OneLove campaign in football stands for solidarity and against any form of discrimination. Last weekend, most of the captains in professional football wore the OneLove ribbon and this action was set to be repeated in mid-November during the World Cup finals in Qatar.

Not all captains supported wearing a OneLove band. Feyenoord captain Orkun Kökcü refused to wear the ribbon last weekend and Excelsior captain Redouan El Yaakoubi wore an alternative ribbon that read ‘Respect’.

“If you stand for inclusion, you have to show leadership qualities. That also means that the captains wear this band, then you don’t negotiate with it,” enthuses Olfers. “Because if you do that, you will actually agree with the shrieking minority.”

Disappointed Tan

Humberto Tan, chairman of the Mijnals committee, was also disappointed when the campaign was canceled. “There are two captains who might find it a bit difficult,” Tan continued NPO radio 1. He believes the KNVB didn’t explain the idea behind the campaign well enough. “Explain better and stand by this action. That excitement is the worst possible reason to quit.”

“Right now it’s so important that we all pull through,” Olfers continued. “That means that you have to have the courage to stand up straight and say: This is what we stand for and we will continue, even in the face of the wind and the storm that is now here. More specifically: we’re going to go a little bit faster because now the momentum is there.”

And the Mijnals committee remains combative, although the KNVB has not involved the committee in the decision-making process. “We said together: we’ll stay tuned and stand still. We don’t do it for the KNVB, not for the Eredivisie, not for the clubs, but for all people who also want to make a great career in football.”

“People of color and all orientations, so that we will soon be more diverse across the board. This is our commitment. That’s what we were made for and we won’t give in,” concludes Olfers.