The union of French professional footballers reacted to the boycott of some Ligue 1 players, who refused to wear a rainbow jersey in support of the LGBT community.
Photo credits: IconSport
Disputed this weekend, the 35th day of Ligue 1 allowed the Professional Football League to send a message. The actors of the French championship were invited to wear a jersey in the colors of the rainbow in support of the LGBT community.
A Nantes resident breaks the silence
Problem, not all the clubs have played the game. As explained on our site, the Toulouse Football Club has decided to exclude five of its players from the group for the coming Sunday of FC Nantes (0-0), in this remake of the final of the Coupe de France, for their refusal to wear the shirt in question. Another strong position, that of the Egyptian striker Mostafa Mohamed, also absent from the score sheet. On Twitterthe scorer of the Canaries is justified.
I didn’t take part in the Toulouse – Nantes match today.
I don’t want to argue at all but I have to state my position.
Respect for differences would be respect for others, respect for oneself, respect for what will be shared and what…
— Mostafa Mohamed (@mmostafa_11) May 14, 2023
These various controversies forced the UNFP to react. In a press release, the National Union of Professional Footballers did not want to summarize this initiative by the refusal of certain players, a minority in its eyes. “The UNFP recalls that it has once again supported the LFP’s campaign against homophobia. She became aware of the desire of some players not to join this just cause. Isolated cases that we cannot, with regard to article 6 of our statutes – on religions, as on politics -, comment on and which should not cause us to forget that almost all of the professional footballers in our championships have therefore engaged, this weekend, against homophobia.”
“It is not up to the UNFP, when it comes to the private sphere, to dictate the conduct of the players. On the other hand, it is up to our union to be surprised that sports bodies, including clubs, sometimes ask footballers to carry collective messages, when their communication is, most often, put under the extinguisher by their employers. . If the fight against homophobia is a major cause, putting an end to moral harassment in professional football in France is just as important. However, despite the proven cases and their drastic increase in recent years, we do not see the LFP and the clubs accepting a campaign denouncing this scourge and calling for an end to it as demanded by the UNFP and professional footballers playing in France.
