No sanctions for Germany but tensions still simmer

Germany's players will not face any disciplinary action from FIFA after taking the OneLove armband protest to a new level as their players covered their mouths during a team photo at the World Cup.

The move marked another day of tension between the seven European nations who supported the OneLove campaign and FIFA, with the group - which includes the English and Welsh FAs - exploring their legal options over the matter.

The English Football Association declined to comment on whether the England team would copy the German gesture ahead of their match against the United States on Friday, while the Football Association of Wales chief executive Noel Mooney said he was "furious" with FIFA's behaviour.

England and Wales were only told hours before their opening matches on Monday that they would face sporting sanctions if captains Harry Kane and Gareth Bale wore the rainbow-coloured armbands.

Mooney told ITV: "Months and months (FIFA) have known we were going to wear the OneLove armband, and to lay that one on us is pretty cheap and pretty low to be frank and we're really disappointed by that attitude.

"We've been absolutely furious about this, we've given FIFA everything we've got in terms of how furious we are about this decision. We think this was a terrible decision."

Asked whether he felt it looked like the OneLove group had backed down, Mooney said: "We didn't back down. We had to look at the sporting sanction that was there.

"We had said we would take fines, we would accept whatever sanctions came, but when it turned at the very last moment to specific sporting sanctions that would have stopped our players taking the field of play potentially, that's a different thing. It was done so late."

The OneLove campaign started in