Anel Ahmedhodzic who is a Muslim by religion of Sheffield United did not wear the rainbow armband during Wednesday night’s 2-0 loss to Liverpool in the Premier League
In Virgil van Dijk and Dominik Szoboszlai’s goals, the Blades were defeated at Bramall Lane in Chris Wilder’s debut match as manager of his second term. After joining the team in 2022, Bosnian international Ahmedhodzic took over as captain when regular captain John Egan and veteran Chris Basham were not available.
What is the religion of Anel Ahmedhodzic and why did he refuse to wear the rainbow Premier League captain armband
Big & important win today! Passion & hard work was shown, we keep building on these performances 💪🏼❤️ pic.twitter.com/z4ixLrljlU
— Anel Ahmedhodzic (@Anelswe) December 9, 2023
However, it seems he has stopped wearing the rainbow armband, making him the first Premier League player in seven years. Instead, Bosnian Ahmedhodzic who is a Muslim by religion attended the match with the customary armband. All 20 Premier League clubs’ captains were mandated to wear an armband with the traditional Pride colours during designated matches as part of the Rainbow Laces campaign.
Why did Ahmedhodzic not wear the rainbow band?
Ahmedhodzic provided a ridiculous one-word justification for not donning a rainbow armband. In the Blades’ two matches this week against Brentford and Liverpool, Ahmedhodzic served as captain.
The Bosnian international referred to his debut game as captain, a 2-0 loss to Liverpool, as a big honour. However, he actively courted controversy by refusing to wear the rainbow armband that all captains must don to support LGBTQ+ inclusiveness in the game. Ahmedhodzic donned the normal form of the Rainbow Laces campaign armband, while others wore it for both matchdays.
LGBTQ supporters did not seem happy
Comments on Ahmedhodzic’s Instagram page ranged from rainbow heart emojis to those supporting his position. While Rainbow Blades supporters of the team were disheartened, Ahmedhodzic refrained from making an official announcement. But when Swedish publication SVT Sport questioned Ahmedhodzic about why he didn’t wear the wristband, they got an answer.
The former player for Nottingham Forest merely texted back, “Guess.” He described his explanation as ridiculous on the SB Nation site Outsports. During his stint at Bordeaux in Ligue One, Ahmedhodzic showcased his rainbow-coloured shirt numbers in honour of the International Day Against Homophobia.
While some Muslims follow, others do not
Although Ahmedhodzic is a Muslim from Bosnia, there are several instances of religious athletes donning rainbow armbands.
Orkun Kokcu of Feyenoord declined to wear a rainbow armband last year, citing his religious beliefs as justification. Granit Xhaka and Ilkay Gundogan have both worn the armband previously, despite the fact that both are Muslims.
However, Sheffield United announced that they remain proud to continue to support the Rainbow Laces campaign and play a key part in ensuring our LGBTQ+ supporters feel welcome and included at Bramall Lane. This year, Sheffield United celebrated the campaign at the match against Liverpool by putting rainbow-colored sponsorships on the dugouts, LED and big screen messages, and rainbow-colored corner flags.