An Italian man identified as Mario Ferri yesterday invaded the pitch during a World Cup match in Qatar between Uruguay and Portugal was a former footballer.
Ferri wore a t-shirt the words "Respect for Iranian Woman" on the back and "Save Ukraine" on the front. and carried a rainbow flag iun the protest over the Qatar government to surpress the rights of LGBTQ people during the World Cup.
According to Italian Authority, Ferri has been released from police custody.
The protester, who is a footballer already stopped playing football and turned to a globetrotting campaigner. This is not the first time that Ferri has invaded World Cup Pitch in protests over LGBTQ rights.
At the 2014 World Cup in Brazil, Ferri protested where he raised the issue of children living in poverty.
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.
But they backed down over the threat of disciplinary action from football's governing body FIFA, including yellow cards.
