Global Courant 2023-05-15 20:23:17
Some players choose to miss matches in the top French league to avoid wearing multicolored numbers.
France’s top football league has been thrown into a storm of controversy after several players refused to take part in a gesture of support for the LGBTQ community last weekend.
France’s professional league, the national football governing body, had called on Ligue 1 and Ligue 2 players to wear shirts with rainbow colored numbers during this weekend’s games ahead of the International Day Against Homophobia, Transphobia and Biphobia. But some players refused to do this.
The National Union of Professional Footballers said it was not for players to deliver “collective messages”. It said in a statement that it was surprised that clubs asked them to do so.
Toulouse left out the players who did not want to wear the shirts. But the club’s Moroccan defender, Zakaria Aboukhlal, defended his choice not to take part in the campaign.
“Respect is a value that I hold in high esteem. It extends to others, but it also includes respect for my own personal beliefs. Therefore, I do not believe that I am the most suitable person to participate in this campaign,” he wrote on Twitter.
— Zakaria Aboukhlal (@ZAboukhlal) May 14, 2023
Program of campaign questioned
Stade Brestois coach Eric Roy called the gesture “catastrophic”, a comment that drew widespread criticism on social media.
“You can see that there are players who have a problem with it. Everyone is free to express their opinion. Personally, I don’t have a problem with it. But there are players who might have a problem with it,” he said.
He also said it was wrong to plan the campaign at a time when players are fighting to avoid relegation.
His counterpart at Stade Rennais, Bruno Genesio, said that while he was against any form of discrimination, he was “not sure it was a good idea to organize a day against homophobia”.
Mostafa Mohamed of Nantes was also omitted from the scoresheet for the 0-0 draw against Toulouse for the same reason.
He said he didn’t want to “argue” but wanted to clarify his position.
“Given my roots, my culture, the importance of my beliefs and beliefs, it was not possible for me to participate in this campaign,” he wrote on Twitter.
“I hope my decision is respected, as well as my wish not to argue about this and that everyone is treated with respect,” he said.
The Senegalese defender of Guingamp, Donatien Gomis, is said to have been excluded from the Ligue 2 game with Sochaux on Saturday for the same reason.
You just found out about the Toulouse – Nantes match.
You can’t do much polémiquer mais je me dois de faire part de ma position.
Le respect des différences, ce serait le respect de l’autre, le respect de soi, le respect de ce qui sera mis en commun et de ce…
— Mostafa Mohamed (@mmostafa_11) May 14, 2023
Sports Minister Amelie Oudea-Castera weighed in on the controversy in support of the campaign.
“I think it’s the responsibility of the clubs to take sanctions,” she said. “During such an operation, where all clubs are involved in the basic subject of non-discrimination, you have to show up.”
She said on Twitter: “Gay or straight, we all wear the same shirt. In the French football championship, everyone should rally behind such a simple message of coexistence and non-discrimination.”
“Homos ou hétéros, on porte tous le même maillot.”
As the champion of French football, the world is devrait a retrouver derrière un message aussi simple de vivre ensemble et de non-discrimination.
Bravo a la @LFPfr for the operation of the son.#STADE2 #JouonsLaCollectif#17mai
— Amélie Oudéa-Castéra (@AOC1978) May 14, 2023
