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Manchester United have reportedly scrapped plans to don LGBT-themed rainbow jackets for their match against Everton, following Moroccan defender Noussair Mazraoui’s decision to opt out of the campaign. The move has sparked debate within football circles, with some interpreting it as a sensitive balancing act between promoting inclusivity and respecting individual beliefs.
Mazraoui’s stance has reignited conversations about how personal convictions intersect with broader social initiatives in the world of sports.
The decision to shelve Manchester United’s plans for pride-themed jackets came mere hours before their Everton match, prompted by Noussair Mazraoui’s refusal to wear the attire. The Moroccan defender, citing his Islamic faith, has brought renewed focus to the challenges of balancing individual convictions with team-led social initiatives in the sport.
To prevent any unnecessary focus on Mazraoui, Manchester United chose to scrap the entire pride-themed jacket initiative. By doing so, the club sought to preserve a sense of solidarity among players while avoiding any public divide over personal convictions.
The controversy comes on the heels of United’s two-year tradition of supporting the Premier League’s Rainbow Laces campaign, where players have worn pride-themed jerseys to promote inclusivity. The fallout from the decision has caused friction within the squad, as some players are reportedly dissatisfied with the abrupt reversal of the campaign.
Manchester United released a statement today, reaffirming their open-door policy to fans from every walk of life. The club proudly expressed that it ‘welcomes fans from all backgrounds, including members of the LGBTQ+ community,’ while reiterating its strong commitment to ‘the principles of diversity and inclusion,’ values that continue to guide its operations.
‘We demonstrate these principles through a range of activities, including support for our Rainbow Devils supporters’ club, and campaigns to celebrate our LGBTQ+ fans and combat all forms of discrimination.
‘Players are entitled to hold their own individual opinions, particularly in relation to their faith, and these may sometimes differ from the club’s position.’
United’s LGBT fan group Rainbow Devils this morning issued a response, saying they were ‘disappointed’ in the summer signing.
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In a post on X, the organisation wrote: ‘As part of this year’s Rainbow Laces campaign, Rainbow Devils worked closely with – and had great support from – Manchester United and the Fan Engagement team.
‘This has included working with the Manchester United Foundation to spread the message of inclusivity with local schools, to a Q&A with two Men’s first team players, to supportive messages from many Men and Women first team players (including an individual one from captain Bruno Fernandes).
‘On this latter occasion, which was United’s official Rainbow Laces game, the players were due to wear specially designed jackets pre-match to mark the occasion. Shortly before the game, Rainbow Devils was informed that these jackets would not be worn.
‘The reason being that one of the matchday squad had refused to wear the jacket on the grounds of their personally held beliefs. Therefore, to maintain the team ethos and togetherness, none of the players would be wearing them.
Mazraoui’s refusal follows a similar situation involving Ipswich Town captain Sam Morsy, who also declined to wear the rainbow armband twice, citing his Muslim faith.
This development comes after England and Crystal Palace defender Marc Guehi defied a Football Association reprimand by writing a religious message on his rainbow-coloured captain’s armband last night.
‘This was obviously a great disappointment to Rainbow Devils, but also to all those who had worked hard at the club to deliver this event. We are aware of who the player concerned is, but we feel it isn’t our role to single him out, and risk spoiling all the other positive things that the majority of those at the club have done.
‘We respect the right of this player to have his own views, whilst also feeling disappointed that he put the rest of the squad into a position where they felt that they couldn’t wear their jackets.
‘We also worry what kind of negative effect this incident might have on any player at the club who may be struggling with their sexuality’.
