Eriksen backs Denmark to challenge FIFA with OneLove armband at World Cup
Christian Eriksen says Denmark captain Simon Kjaer will defy FIFA and wear a OneLove armband at the World Cup no matter what the consequences.
The captains of 10 European teams are expected to wear a distinctive heart armband in Qatar, promoting diversity and inclusion in a country where same-sex relationships are banned.
On Saturday, FIFA announced that its own armbands would feature a different social campaign, including 'Save the Planet' and 'Bring the Moves', throughout each round of the tournament in the Middle East.
Eriksen has confirmed Denmark will stick to the OneLove initiative as Kasper Hjulmand's side prepare for Tuesday's Group D opener against Tunisia.
"I think we as a country are wearing it, our captain will be wearing the OneLove armband and what the consequences will be, I don't know but we'll see," said midfielder Eriksen.
>"And apart from that, we are here as footballers and we are going to play football. Of course, we want to help what we can, but in the end, I am on this stage because I play football.
"That's really my goal, and that's our goal in this tournament."
Manchester United player Eriksen will appear on the FIFA world stage less than 18 months after suffering cardiac arrest in the European Championship clash between Denmark and Finland.
"I'm just happy to be back. Especially to be at the World Cup. I had the chance to play one or two before, but it's special," Eriksen said.< /p>
"It's a big tournament, it's very difficult to qualify. We dream of something big, but in the end we have to make it happen.
"In football terms, we'll take it one game at a time, and see where we end up."
Hjulmand's side will try to escape Group D, which also includes world champions France and Australia, although Eriksen acknowledged it will be a difficult challenge.
"We know it's a tough group. Some teams have played a lot and some teams like Tunisia, we've never played before," he said.
"It's a World Cup, so it's fun to test ourselves against teams we've never played with before."
Denmark have already beaten France twice this year in the Nations League, and Eriksen said he doesn't know if that will influence the upcoming fixture.
“Normally France in a tournament is a different team compared to the rest of the year,” he said. "We know what to do and we can't wait to be there."
See this post on Instagram
A post shared by Christian Eriksen (@chriseriksen8)
Cristiano Ronaldo's scathing interview with Manchester United, in which he criticized the club, senior officials and manager Erik ten Hag, remains a hot topic of discussion in the run-up to the World Cup.
>Portugal captain Ronaldo has said he feels 'betrayed' by United, saying the Red Devils have made 'no progress' since Alex Ferguson left as manager in 2013, although 'Eriksen showed little interest in his teammate's comments.
He said: "No, it hasn't been a distraction for our focus on the World Cup or personal focus. And no, I haven't spoken to him since at the club."
Christian Eriksen says Denmark captain Simon Kjaer will defy FIFA and wear a OneLove armband at the World Cup no matter what the consequences.
The captains of 10 European teams are expected to wear a distinctive heart armband in Qatar, promoting diversity and inclusion in a country where same-sex relationships are banned.
On Saturday, FIFA announced that its own armbands would feature a different social campaign, including 'Save the Planet' and 'Bring the Moves', throughout each round of the tournament in the Middle East.
Eriksen has confirmed Denmark will stick to the OneLove initiative as Kasper Hjulmand's side prepare for Tuesday's Group D opener against Tunisia.
"I think we as a country are wearing it, our captain will be wearing the OneLove armband and what the consequences will be, I don't know but we'll see," said midfielder Eriksen.
>"And apart from that, we are here as footballers and we are going to play football. Of course, we want to help what we can, but in the end, I am on this stage because I play football.
"That's really my goal, and that's our goal in this tournament."
Manchester United player Eriksen will appear on the FIFA world stage less than 18 months after suffering cardiac arrest in the European Championship clash between Denmark and Finland.
"I'm just happy to be back. Especially to be at the World Cup. I had the chance to play one or two before, but it's special," Eriksen said.< /p>
"It's a big tournament, it's very difficult to qualify. We dream of something big, but in the end we have to make it happen.
"In football terms, we'll take it one game at a time, and see where we end up."
Hjulmand's side will try to escape Group D, which also includes world champions France and Australia, although Eriksen acknowledged it will be a difficult challenge.
"We know it's a tough group. Some teams have played a lot and some teams like Tunisia, we've never played before," he said.
"It's a World Cup, so it's fun to test ourselves against teams we've never played with before."
Denmark have already beaten France twice this year in the Nations League, and Eriksen said he doesn't know if that will influence the upcoming fixture.
“Normally France in a tournament is a different team compared to the rest of the year,” he said. "We know what to do and we can't wait to be there."
See this post on Instagram
A post shared by Christian Eriksen (@chriseriksen8)
Cristiano Ronaldo's scathing interview with Manchester United, in which he criticized the club, senior officials and manager Erik ten Hag, remains a hot topic of discussion in the run-up to the World Cup.
>Portugal captain Ronaldo has said he feels 'betrayed' by United, saying the Red Devils have made 'no progress' since Alex Ferguson left as manager in 2013, although 'Eriksen showed little interest in his teammate's comments.
He said: "No, it hasn't been a distraction for our focus on the World Cup or personal focus. And no, I haven't spoken to him since at the club."
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