Falcao, Gueye, Toulouse… The rainbow flag in Ligue 1, and the debate that is starting to last (too) long
The initiative of the LFP is a tradition. As in recent years, the French professional (Site notre bureau spécialisé) body organized actions this weekend on the various fields of Ligue 1 and Ligue 2 as part of the world day against homophobia. And like in previous seasons, there was no lack of controversy, with several players refusing to participate.
New refusals, one after the controversies around Gueye
Donatien Gomis, central defender of En Avant de Guingamp in the second division, clearly assumed – according to its leaders – his decision on Saturday not to wear the jersey with rainbow flocking. Consequently, the 28-year-old Senegalese was not present in the EAG group for the trip to Sochaux. You side of Toulouse, several players would have taken the same decision according to the Noon dispatch.
Last year, Idrissa Gueye, then at PSG, boycotted a meeting in Montpellier in the same way, without however speaking. The midfielder had already been absent for the weekend in 2021, officially for gastroenteritis. Having left for Everton last summer, the Senegalese international did not have to scramble this year for this initiative taken by the LFP several years ago.
Controversies for several years
In May 2019, several players had not worn the rainbow armband then reserved for the captain (there was no question of flocking at the time). In Monaco, coach Leonardo Jardim found himself with this piece of fabric on his arm, left by Radamel Falcao. « The important thing is that someone from the club wears it and applies what is requested by the League », explained the Portuguese technician at the time.
For others, if they started with the armband, they had left it during the match. « He does not understand well », launched Valentin Rongier, in the colors of FC Nantes. The current OM player nevertheless specified: « I had to take it off for about 20 minutes but it was a good idea, like 4-5 years ago when we put on rainbow laces. on the shoes. » Edinson Cavani, captain of PSG, justified the sequence with the same argument. In Caen, Fayçal Fajr starts the game with a classic armband. « In matches like that (for maintenance), you don’t think of anything. Fayçal (Fajr) must have forgotten, » says a source from the Norman club to RMC Sport.
After the refusal of « Gana » Gueye last year, Senegalese President Macky Sall spoke out for other respect for the player’s « religious convictions ». As a reminder, in this 95% Muslim country and very practicing, homosexual relations are prohibited by law and can result in “imprisonment of one to five years”. In the country, the choice of Gueye had been very well perceived, even to the point of considering him a “hero”, as noted by the adviser to Sadio Mané …
Article originally published on RMC Sport
