A bunch preventing homophobia in soccer has referred to as on the French league and Paris Saint-Germain to ask participant Idrissa Gueye for an evidence after he missed a recreation final week amid reviews that he refused to play as a result of he didn’t need to put on a rainbow-colored quantity on the again of his jersey.
The Senegal midfielder travelled together with his teammates to Montpellier final weekend for Saturday’s French league recreation within the southern metropolis however didn’t play, with PSG coach Mauricio Pochettino citing “private causes” to justify his absence on the sector.
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For the second consecutive season, skilled golf equipment within the nation had been invited to label their gamers’ shirts with colored numbers utilizing the rainbow flag, the image of the LGBTQ motion.
In accordance with an individual with direct information of the incident, Gueye didn’t play as a result of he didn’t need to put on a rainbow-coloured quantity on the again of his shirt. The particular person spoke on situation of anonymity as a result of the participant has not but commented publicly on the incident.
French radio RMC first reported on the explanation why Gueye skipped the match.
The Rouge Direct group mentioned in a message posted on Twitter that PSG and the league mustn’t exclude the potential for sanctioning Gueye.
“Homophobia shouldn’t be an opinion however against the law,” the group mentioned.
The case has turn out to be a political situation in each Senegal and France.
Senegal’s President Macky Sall tweeted his assist to Gueye, writing in French: “I assist Idrissa Gana Gueye. His non secular convictions have to be revered.”
The nation’s former prime minister Abdoul Mbaye additionally threw his assist behind Gueye, saying the PSG participant “shouldn’t be homophobic. He doesn’t need his picture for use to advertise homosexuality. Depart him alone.”
Gay relationships are thought of against the law in Senegal and might be punished with one to 5 years in jail.
Valerie Pecresse, the conservative candidate within the French presidential election final month, joined the criticism of Gueye.
“The gamers of a soccer membership, and people of PSG particularly, are identification figures for our younger folks,” she wrote on Twitter. “They’ve an obligation to set an instance. A refusal by Idrissa Gana Gueye to hitch the combat in opposition to homophobia couldn’t stay with out sanction!”
L’Equipe newspaper reported that Gueye had already missed the corresponding match final season when all groups wore shirts with the rainbow, citing a bout of gastroenteritis.
Homophobic chants, typically heard at French league matches, have been tolerated for a very long time by many membership officers, and soccer authorities have struggled to search out the suitable methods of tackling the difficulty. The French league, nevertheless, launched an motion plan three years in the past permitting spectators to report sexist, homophobic or racist incidents they witness.
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