Manchester United abandoned plans to wear a jacket supporting the LGBTQ+ community before Sunday’s win over Everton because a player refused to wear it.
According to The Athletic, it is reported that defender Noussair Mazraoui declined to take part in the initiative, citing his Muslim faith.
The Athletic reported that the £15m summer signing from Bayern Munich told team-mates he was not prepared to wear the outfit. The team then decided that no player would wear it so he would not be seen as the only one publicly refusing.
LGBTQ+ supporters’ club Rainbow Devils said it was a “great disappointment”.
When asked about the situation, United issued a statement: “Manchester United welcomes fans from all backgrounds, including members of the LGBTQ+ community, and we are strongly committed to the principles of diversity and inclusion.
“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.”
Rainbow Devils said in a statement that members were informed “shortly before the game 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,” the group said.
“Therefore, to maintain the team ethos and togetherness, none of the players would be wearing them.
“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.”
