Noussair Mazraoui who is a Muslim by religion has refused to wear Adidas’ LGBTQ+ jacket
Manchester United cancelled their intention to wear the Adidas Rainbow Laces LGBTQ campaign warm-up jackets with a pride motif as part of the Premier League’s Rainbow Laces campaign when defender Noussair Mazraoui declined to wear it because of his religious convictions.
Following the last-minute cancellation of plans to wear the specially designed Adidas jackets prior to Sunday’s match against Everton, Rainbow Devils, official LGBTQ+ supporters’ organization of Manchester United voiced their “great disappointment.”
What is the religion of Man United footballer Noussair Mazraoui and more about his parents and wife
In the run-up to the club’s official Rainbow Laces game at Old Trafford, the Rainbow Devils collaborated with Manchester United on several initiatives centred around inclusivity and the support of the LGBTQ+ community. However, the group claimed they were told that the jackets would not be worn because “one of the squad member refused.”
Noussair Mazraoui, Respect ❤️ pic.twitter.com/b0582g0PYL
— Ruben Amorim (@RubenAmorimx) December 4, 2024
Noussair Mazraoui, a Muslim by religion, refused to wear the warm-up jacket because of his religious beliefs, according to The Athletic. The United team as a whole decided that no one would wear the jacket, so the Morocco international would not be the only player without it. According to a story by The Athletic, some United players were unhappy with the choice.
Noussair’s father, Mustafa Mazraoui, moved from Morocco to the Netherlands in the 1980s, providing the foundation for Noussair’s football journey. The name of his mother is unknown though. Noussair is single and unmarried.
In the past two seasons, United has worn specially made warm-up jackets with rainbow-themed designs. After refusing to play in Ligue 1’s rainbow campaign while at Toulouse, Mazraoui, who joined the squad from Bayern Munich in the summer, had previously come under fire while playing in Germany for seemingly endorsing Morocco teammate Zakaria Aboukhlal.
Mazraoui’s decision was announced at the same time as Crystal Palace captain Marc Guehi wrote “Jesus loves you” on his rainbow-colored armband during Tuesday night’s match against Ipswich, raising the possibility of disciplinary action.
The Football Association wrote to the England international to remind him of their policies regarding “political, religious, or personal slogans, statements, or images” after Guehi wrote “I love Jesus” on his armband during the match against Newcastle three days prior. However, Guehi will not be subject to official action.
Ipswich Town has also clarified that Sam Morsy, the team’s Muslim captain, has decided not to don the rainbow armband due to his religious beliefs. The FA stayed out of the affair entirely.
Mazraoui is expected to play in Wednesday’s meeting between United and Arsenal at the Emirates Stadium. It will be the second of two Premier League game weeks that support the campaign and will be Arsenal’s official Rainbow Laces match.
Clubs in the Premier League will come together between 29 November-5 December to celebrate Stonewall’s 2024/25 Rainbow Laces campaign and show support for all LGBT+ people in the community.