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The anti-homophobia campaign of Ligue 1, the French top flight, has been marred with controversy in recent weeks with the players set to get sanctioned after not complying with it. Olympique Lyonnais midfielder Nemanja Matic and Le Havre striker Ahmed Hassan had the anti-homophobia symbols covered up with tape on their respective shirts among a few other non compliers recently, and with that, the French Sports Minister, Marie Barsacq, has called to punish them.
Notably, as per the report published in BBC Sport, Nantes forward Mostafa Mohamed withdrew from the relegation deciding clash against Montpellier, while Lens defender Jonathan Gradit allegedly used a homophobic insult in the tunnel at half-time while playing against Monaco. It is important to note that this is the fifth year of Ligue 1’s anti-homophobia campaign, wherein the players are known to wear rainbow-coloured symbols apart from stadium banners being put up, to raise awareness and promote inclusion.
Homophobic insults and behaviour are no longer acceptable: French Sports Minister
Mostafa Mohamed took to his official Instagram account and gave the reason behind his decision to not play for Nantes in their last match in Ligue 1 in the build-up to it. He wrote, “I believe in mutual respect - the respect we owe others, but also the respect we owe to ourselves and our beliefs. For me, there are deep-rooted values linked to my background and my beliefs that make my participation in this initiative difficult.”
It is understood that the players not complying with the Ligue 1’s anti-homophobia campaign will be fined by their respective clubs, with the money set to get donated to charity, who are fighting against discrimination towards LGBTQ+ community. French Sports Minister Marie Barsacq was quoted as saying on the matter, “Football has a massive platform, and the [French Football] Federation is determined to put this issue on the clubs' and supporters' agenda.”
“Homophobic insults and behaviour are no longer acceptable. Society has evolved, and the language in football must change with it. There's a full range of sanctions available, and they must be applied,” he added.
