The statement, addressed to ECB chief executive Richard Gould, concluded: “We strongly urge England men's football players and officials to speak out against the horrific treatment of women and girls in Afghanistan under the Taliban.

古爾德迅速做出回應，重申了歐洲央行的原則，同時建議歐洲央行所有成員國採取統一做法，而不是單獨行動。 “The European Central Bank strongly condemns the treatment of Afghan women and girls under the Taliban regime,” he said.

The situation harkens back to the 2003 World Cup, when Nasser Hussain's England abandoned a match against Zimbabwe in protest against Robert Mugabe's regime, a move advocated by politicians , but did not make a decision on behalf of the team.