Crystal Palace captain Marc Guehi will face no formal action from the English Football Association despite wearing an adapted rainbow armband for the second time.
The player and the club had been reminded of FA kit regulations after he wore an armband saying ‘I love Jesus’ in Saturday’s match against Newcastle.
He then wore one stating ‘Jesus loves you’ against Ipswich on Tuesday night, but the FA will still not take action.
The club and the player were again reminded of kit regulations, which state that the appearance on, or incorporation in, any item of clothing, football boots or other equipment, of any religious message is prohibited under Rule A4.
Captains have been wearing rainbow armbands in the last two rounds of Premier League matches as part of the Rainbow Laces campaign, which offers support to the LGBTQ+ community in football and beyond.
The campaign, which the Premier League runs in partnership with LGBTQ+ charity Stonewall, comes to an end with Thursday’s Premier League matches, so Guehi is not due to wear a rainbow armband again.
The FA did not get involved at all in the case of Ipswich captain Sam Morsy, who has chosen to wear a standard captain’s armband in the last two matches owing to his religious beliefs.
Even though Guehi has not been punished, his father John, a church minister, criticised the FA for issuing a reminder.
He told the Daily Mail: “Did he offend anyone? I don’t think so. I do believe in what the Bible says, Jesus loves everyone, and, in my opinion, Marc did not offend anyone with what he wrote.
“Marc said yes and did the right thing by wearing it but people are having a go at him. The FA are happy for the crowd to sing God Save the King when England plays, which mentions God and religion.
“And they are happy to have the religious hymn Abide with Me during the [FA] Cup final, yet they have a go at my son for expressing his beliefs. Where is the sense in that? What has he done wrong?”
It has since emerged that Manchester United scrapped plans to wear jackets supporting the LGBTQ+ community at Sunday’s Premier League match against Everton after a player refused to take part.
The player was full back Noussair Mazraoui, according to The Athletic, who reportedly mentioned his Muslim faith.
When asked who the player was, United refused to confirm.
Former England women’s international Lianne Sanderson wrote on X: “We wonder why we have no active Premier League player that feels comfortable enough to be open with their sexuality when their captain can’t even wear an armband or a player’s walk-out top?
Throwing things down people’s throats is not the goal. It’s to help a community and individuals who, even in 2024, still don’t feel at ease during football games. We appreciate the players and captains who have continued to support us.
