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World Cup pitch invader with rainbow flag released
The man identified as Mario Ferri also wore a T-shirt with the words "Respect for Iranian Woman" on the back and "Save Ukraine" on the front.
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A man wearing a t-shirt reading “Save Ukraine“ runs on the pitch waving a rainbow flag on the pitch during the Qatar 2022 World Cup Group H football match between Portugal and Uruguay at the Lusail Stadium in Lusail, north of Doha on November 28, 2022.
(AFP/Odd Andersen)
A
n Italian man who ran onto the pitch during a World Cup match in Qatar carrying a rainbow flag has been released following a brief detention, the Italian foreign ministry said on Tuesday.
The man identified as Mario Ferri also wore a T-shirt with the words "Respect for Iranian Woman" on the back and "Save Ukraine" on the front.
Ferri was on the field for about 30 seconds during the second half of the game between Portugal and Uruguay before being tackled and escorted off by security.
"The foreign ministry, together with the Italian embassy in Doha, followed the case after the pitch invasion," the Italian foreign ministry said in a statement sent to AFP.
"After a brief detention, he (Ferri) was released by the authorities without any further consequences," the ministry said, without specifying where he was held or by whom.
Gay rights and the use of the rainbow flag have been a simmering issue at the World Cup in Qatar, where homosexuality is illegal.
Captains of seven European teams had planned to wear rainbow-themed anti-discrimination armbands during the tournament as part of a campaign for diversity.
