Idrissa Gueye of Paris St-Germain has refused to participate in a match in order to avoid wearing a jersey with the rainbow emblem in favour of LGBTQ+ rights
The former Aston Villa and Everton midfielder, 32, did not play in Saturday’s 4-0 triumph against Montpellier.
PSG manager Mauricio Pochettino only stated that Gueye was absent for “personal reasons.” The French Football Federation (FFF) allegedly wrote to Gueye to inquire about his absence.
Idrissa Gana Gueye Refuses To Wear Jersey Having Rainbow Logo On It In Support Of LGBTQ+ Rights
Senegal Players Came in Support
Cheikhou Kouyate of Crystal Palace and Ismaila Sarr of Watford have both commented on social media in apparent support of their Senegal teammate’s attitude.
On Instagram, Kouyate shared a photo of himself with Gueye, captioning it “a real man.” Sarr, a Watford winger, uploaded a photo of himself and Gueye with three heart emojis and the words “100% “.
Watford confirmed their commitment to equality and diversity in response to Sarr’s article, adding that “this includes the willingness to give further education and help to any of its staff.”
Crystal Palace manager Patrick Vieira stated during a press conference on Wednesday that if one of his players blogged about Gueye, he would deal with them. “It’ll be an internal discussion,” he continued.
In Senegal, homosexuality is prohibited and punished by up to five years in jail. It is also prohibited in Qatar, the home of PSG’s owners and the site of the World Cup later this year.
On Wednesday, the #1 Twitter trend in the globe was #WeareallIdrissa, with messages submitted in support of Gueye’s stand.
For the second year in a row, clubs in France have been encouraged to commemorate the International Day Against Homophobia, Biphobia, and Transphobia on May 17 by wearing rainbow-coloured numbers on the back of their jerseys.
Gueye, who joined PSG for ยฃ30 million in July 2019, also missed last year’s display of solidarity due to gastroenteritis, according to Le Parisien, which first revealed the cause for his absence.
FFF Issued Notice
The AFP news agency said on Wednesday that it had seen a letter from the FFF’s ethics committee demanding that Gueye explain why he missed Saturday’s game.
According to AFP, the letter requests that he “make a public apology” or state that the rumours he refused to play are “unfounded.” According to the letter, refusing to play would be “validating discriminatory behaviour.”
On Wednesday, PSG stated that they were “extremely happy to wear this shirt.”
“On Saturday, the biggest talents in international football were on the pitch, expressing the club’s commitment to the battle against homophobia and all forms of discrimination,” it continued.
Gueye’s viewpoint has been backed by Senegalese lawmakers. On Twitter, the country’s president, Macky Sall, stated that Gueye’s Muslim beliefs must be respected, while sport minister Matar Ba stated that Gueye has the support of his countrymen, accompanying a photo of the midfielder on pilgrimage to Mecca.