Religious beliefs put two captains in spotlight during Premier League’s Rainbow Laces campaign

The captains of two Premier League teams are in the spotlight for their choices as the competition celebrates LGBTQ+ inclusion in its campaign to promote equality and diversity.

Rainbow-colored captain armbands were issued to the 20 clubs for matches last weekend and the current midweek round.

Ipswich’s Sam Morsy has been the only captain in action who didn’t wear the rainbow armband, in games against Nottingham Forest on Saturday and Crystal Palace on Tuesday. Ipswich said after the Forest game that Morsy made the decision “due to his religious beliefs.”

Morsy, a British-born Egypt midfielder, is a practicing Muslim.

Ipswich said it “respect(s) the decision” of Morsy but is “committed to being a fully inclusive club.”

“We will continue to grow an environment where all are valued and respected, both on and off the pitch,” Ipswich said.

Palace captain Marc Guehi wore a rainbow armband bearing the words “I love Jesus” on it during the match against Newcastle on Saturday. A heart was used instead of the word “love.”

The England defender, who is a devout Christian, and Palace were contacted by the Football Association reminding them that the appearance on, or incorporation in, any item of clothing, soccer boots or other equipment of any religious message is prohibited under Rule A4 of the governing body’s regulations, Britain’s PA news agency reported Tuesday.

For the game against Ipswich, Guehi’s message on the rainbow armband read, “Jesus loves you” — again using a heart sign. It raises the prospect of the player being sanctioned by the FA for defying its rules.

Addressing the issue after the match, Palace manager Oliver Glasner said: “We respect every player and especially Marc. He is our captain. Everyone knows he is a great guy, very humble, and I don’t think we should make it bigger than it is. In football we are all against discrimination and it’s a great campaign.

“We spoke about it. He’s no child, he’s an adult, he has his opinion and we respect it.”

The league’s Rainbow Laces campaign, introduced in 2013, is in partnership with LGBTQ+ charity Stonewall and includes a range of activities to “highlight community and education initiatives designed to encourage discussion and promote allyship with LGBTQ+ communities,” the competition said. Rainbow Laces branding is widely visible within stadiums on things like corner flags and ball plinths.

It is not mandatory for captains to wear the rainbow armband and it is deemed a personal choice. Last season, Anel Ahmedhodzic, the then-Sheffield United captain, wore a standard armband instead of the rainbow version.

In France, Nantes fined striker Mostafa Mohamed for refusing to play against Toulouse last year on the weekend teams wore rainbow-colored numbers on their jerseys to support the fight against homophobia. In May, Monaco midfielder Mohamed Camara was given a four-game suspension by the league for covering up an anti-homophobia message on the team’s shirt during the club’s final league game of the season.

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AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer