Football Tasmania says a Palestinian futsal team “won’t be allowed to play” while its jerseys carry “from the river to the sea, always was, always will be”, after two other teams wore them in solidarity and the match was called off.
Chief Executive Tony Pignata told Pulse the team was free to wear a Palestinian national shirt, but would not play if it kept the slogan.
“Other teams wear national strips, whether it’s Greece, Italy, Socceroos, Matildas, whatever. But under the laws of the game we don’t allow any political slogans on shirts,” he said.
“They’re free to come down and wear their Palestinian shirt with pride, no problems.”
The jerseys, designed by Palestine Futsal Team player Feras Shaheen, carry the phrase “from the river to the sea, always was, always will be”.
Shaheen said the team was handed a 3-0 forfeit loss on October 11 after refusing to remove the jerseys.
On Sunday, two other teams in the six-team social league wore the jerseys in solidarity and were told they could not play.
Hughie Nicklason, who played in the match, said the teams instead played a friendly game in the jerseys after Football Tasmania officials walked off the court.
“We all just want to play football and we think that it’s not fair or just that this team is being excluded,” he told Pulse.
Pignata said any team wearing a shirt with a political slogan would not be allowed to play.
“We’re not singling them out, it’s across the board,” he said.
Shaheen, who has family in Gaza, said the jersey was a cultural expression.
“The text that they’re referring to is a humanitarian message. It’s a cultural expression,” he said.
He said the jersey also highlighted the relationship between Palawa people and Palestinians.
Asked whether the slogan was humanitarian rather than political, Pignata said he was “not well-versed” in the politics of the region.
“From our take, it’s a slogan which has political meaning as well, so they won’t be allowed to play in it,” he said.
Many Jewish groups view the phrase “from the river to the sea” as a call for the elimination of Israel.
Shaheen said that interpretation was false.
“I say to them to actually speak to Palestinians so they can explain to you that that is false,” he said.
Football Tasmania has told the team that shirts displaying “any part” of the combined slogan will not be permitted.
Nicklason said he had worn “always was, always will be” shirts in the competition before and “that has never been an issue in the past”.
Shaheen said the team had played a few games in the jerseys and “there was no dramas”, before being told to cover them up following a complaint.
Pignata disputed that account.
“Incorrect, I think this is the third week that they’ve worn or tried to wear [the jerseys],” he said.
He said the team had been told “they aren’t allowed to have that slogan”.
In an email to Football Tasmania last week, the team argued the competition rules referred to FIFA’s Law 4 only in relation to shin pads and jewellery.
Football Tasmania replied that its decision was “final” and that it “may consider taking further action it considers appropriate under its regulations”.
Pignata said Football Tasmania’s role was “to administer competition in accordance with the regulations”.
Shaheen said he had “nothing against them” personally.
“I know they’re just following the rules, but I think it’s important for them to understand the context in which the rules is placed in,” he said.
