Germany captain Joshua Kimmich has voiced regret over his team's political statements at the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar, saying players should refrain from expressing political views.Kimmich's reflections follow Germany's controversial protest at the tournament, where they covered their mouths during a team photo after FIFA threatened sanctions for wearing the 'OneLove' armband-a symbol of diversity and tolerance-in a country where homosexuality is illegal."We wanted to convey the message that FIFA is silencing teams," former coach Hansi Flick explained at the time.
However, ahead of Germany's UEFA Nations League games, Kimmich said the gesture distracted from the competition."In general, us players should stand for specific values, especially as the captain of the national team.
But it is not our job to express ourselves politically all the time," Kimmich told a press conference."Look at the issue of Qatar.
We did not present an overall good picture as a team and country.