Arsene Wenger: Teams distracted by 'political demonstrations' in World Cup

Arsene Wenger has said the teams who performed well in the opening week of the World Cup were those who were not distracted by “political demonstrations”.

In an apparent reference to Germany, who covered their mouths in protest ahead of their opening-game loss to Japan, Wenger said it was countries who had the “right mindset” who delivered better performances at the start of the tournament.

The former Arsenal manager, now Fifa’s chief of global football development, was speaking as the governing body’s technical study group delivered their analysis of the group stages in Qatar.

“The teams who were not disappointing with their first game performance… when you go to a World Cup you have to not lose the first game, are the teams with experience and with results in former tournaments, like France and England and Brazil,” said Wenger.

“They played well in the first game. The teams as well who were mentally ready, with the mindset to focus on the competition, and not on political demonstrations.”

Germany’s players had covered their mouths in the pre-match team photograph after being effectively forced to back down in their attempts to wear the ‘One Love’ armband. “Denying us the armband is the same as denying us a voice,” said the German Football Association.

Germany went on to lose to Japan, and they subsequently failed to make it out of the group stage of the competition.

Several Germany players, including captain Manuel Neuer and Manchester City’s Ilkay Gundogan, also wore Adidas boots with three rainbow lines stitched down the middle, with an additional multi-coloured stripe on their training kit. In the stands, Nancy Faeser, the country’s interior minister, went even further, donning the very armband explicitly prohibited by Fifa as she sat directly on president Gianni Infantino’s left.

In a defiant statement, the German federation, the DFB, said: “It wasn’t about making a political statement – human rights are non-negotiable. That should be taken for granted, but it still isn’t the case. That’s why this message is so important to us. Denying us the armband is the same as denying us a voice. We stand by our position.”

Denmark coach Kasper Hjulmand said earlier in the tournament that the political issues had proven “difficult” for his players, who did not make it out of their group.

"Whatever they [the players] do, they would do something wrong,” said Hjulmand. “They had to be activists, [but] there has been a feeling of 'what do we have to do to do the right thing?'”, he said.

"I think the debate around Qatar has been extremely difficult, and I think it is extremely difficult. I am very envious of those of you who think you have the answers."