Manchester United scraps plans to wear LGBTQ+ jacket

Manchester United decided not to wear jackets in support of the LGBTQ+ community before their victory over Everton on Sunday because a player chose not to participate. According to The Athletic, defender Noussair Mazraoui opted out due to his Muslim faith.

When contacted by BBC Sport, United did not confirm the player’s identity, and Mazraoui’s agent declined to comment as well.

The LGBTQ+ supporters’ club Rainbow Devils expressed “great disappointment” over the decision, while United acknowledged that players are “entitled to hold their own individual opinions,” according to ‘BBC’.

Currently, rainbow armbands are worn by Premier League clubs to show support for LGBTQ+ inclusion in sports as part of Stonewall’s Rainbow Laces campaign.

A spokesperson for Stonewall stated that it has been “incredible to see so many football teams and players at all levels support” the campaign, which “helps people feel safe and welcome both on and off the pitch.” They emphasised that it is up to individual players and teams to decide how they show their support for LGBTQ+ inclusion in sport.

Bruno Fernandes, United’s captain, donned a rainbow armband in the 4-0 win over Everton at Old Trafford on Sunday.

The Athletic reported that Mazraoui, who transferred from Bayern Munich for £15 million in the summer, informed his teammates of his reluctance to wear the jacket. Consequently, the team agreed that no player would wear it, ensuring that he wouldn’t be singled out, according to The Athletic.

In response to inquiries, United released a statement saying: “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 various activities, including support for our Rainbow Devils supporters' club and campaigns to celebrate our LGBTQ+ fans and combat all forms of discrimination.”

The statement also highlighted that “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.”

In the past, United has worn warm-up kits with rainbow themes to show support for the LGBTQ+ community. Rainbow Devils stated that their members were informed “shortly before the game that these jackets would not be worn.”

The group mentioned that: “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. 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.”

On Wednesday, the Football Association announced that it would not take formal action against Crystal Palace or captain Marc Guehi after he wrote a ‘Jesus loves you’ message on his rainbow armband during the club's win over Ipswich the previous night. Guehi and the club were reminded by the FA that religious messaging on kit is prohibited after his rainbow armband, during Palace’s draw against Newcastle United on Saturday, featured the message ‘I love Jesus.’

Ipswich captain Sam Morsy did not wear a rainbow armband again on Tuesday, following his club’s statement that he chose not to do so over the weekend due to his “religious beliefs.”