London – The use of the rainbow captain’s armband as part of the LGBTQ+ campaign in the Premier League has faced significant opposition. Various ways have been presented to reject the initiative.
The Premier League is currently promoting an inclusive week in support of the LGBTQ+ organization, Rainbow Laces Stonewall. Every team in the English league is encouraged to wear rainbow-themed accessories during the period from November 29 to December 5, 2024.
One of the items encouraged to be worn is the rainbow captain’s armband. However, not all players have followed the LGBTQ+ campaign’s recommendation.
Ipswich Town captain Sam Morsy refused to wear the rainbow captain’s armband when facing Nottingham Forest. The Egyptian player chose to wear a regular captain’s armband instead.
Ipswich Town explained that Morsy declined to wear the rainbow captain’s armband due to religious reasons. The club respected the decision of the Muslim footballer.
Crystal Palace captain Marc Guehi also showed his opposition. Unlike Morsy, he still wore the rainbow captain’s armband when his team played Newcastle United. However, there was something different about Guehi’s rainbow captain’s armband. The English defender attached the message “I Love Jesus,” a Christian-themed note.
Crystal Palace did not reprimand Guehi and instead respected the player’s beliefs. The FA, however, issued a warning to Guehi for violating Rule A4 of the FA’s kit and advertising regulations by displaying religious messages during a match.
Guehi remained firm in his faith. The 24-year-old player again wrote a religious message on his rainbow captain’s armband when Palace faced Ipswich Town on Wednesday, December 4, 2024.
An interesting scene occurred when the captains of Ipswich Town and Crystal Palace shook hands. Morsy stuck with the regular captain’s armband, while Guehi wore the rainbow captain’s armband with the message “Jesus Loves You.” Both players expressed opposition to the LGBTQ+ campaign in different ways.
Not the First to Reject the Rainbow Captain’s Armband
Sam Morsy and Marc Guehi are not the first to subtly reject the LGBTQ+ campaign. Sheffield United player Anel Ahmedhodzic did so earlier.
Ahmedhodzic chose to wear a regular captain’s armband instead of the rainbow-patterned one at the end of 2023. He did this while serving as the substitute captain against Liverpool and Brentford.
British media widely reported Ahmedhodzic’s refusal to wear the rainbow captain’s armband. The Bosnian player did not comment much on the issue and asked fans to “guess” his stance.
