Former Manchester United and Chelsea midfielder, Nemanja Matic, has been handed a two-match ban by Ligue 1 after he covered an anti-homophobia message on his shirt with tape. The incident occurred during his team Lyon's 2-0 victory over Angers on May 17th.
The anti-homophobia message is part of a five-year-old campaign by Ligue 1 to promote inclusivity in football. Players are typically asked to wear rainbow-coloured symbols, while banners are also displayed in stadiums as part of the initiative.
However, Matic, as well as Le Havre striker Ahmed Hassan, chose to cover this message on his sleeve with tape during that gameweek. As a result, they were issued with two-match bans along with an additional two matches suspended.
However, Matic's contract with Lyon is set to expire at the end of June, and he has yet to agree to new terms with the French club. He may not have to worry about this ban if he leaves the league, which is quite likely.
Matic not the first to face action for such protest actions
The annual awareness campaign has faced resistance from some players in recent years who cite religious beliefs as their reason for not participating.
Mostafa Mohamed, a forward for Nantes and the Egypt national team, withdrew from his side's crucial relegation-decider against Montpellier on the final day of the season due to this issue.
He explained his stance via Instagram, stating that there are deep-rooted values linked to his background and beliefs that make it difficult for him to participate in such initiatives.
Last season saw similar incidents when then-Monaco midfielder Mohamed Camara was banned for four matches after taping over an anti-homophobia logo on his shirt. In addition, some Toulouse players missed a match in 2023 because they disagreed with associating their image with rainbow colours representing the LGBT movement.
