The Premier League match between Manchester United and Everton last Sunday was marred by controversy behind the scenes. Initially, the club planned for its players to wear a special jacket, designed in collaboration with its sponsor adidas, to show their support for the LGBTQ+ community as part of the Rainbow Laces campaign. However, this initiative was canceled hours before kick-off after defender Noussaïr Mazraoui refused to wear the kit, citing his Muslim faith, as revealed The Athletic.
Any tensions following this decision?
Mazraoui, who arrived this summer for 15 million pounds from Bayern Munich, informed his teammates of his position, which led the team to collectively decide not to wear the jacket, thus avoiding highlighting his individual refusal. An internal source told The Athletic that this decision was not unanimous in the locker room. This choice contrasts with the club's recent efforts to promote inclusiveness, notably through support for the Rainbow Devils, an LGBTQ+ supporters group created in 2019, and public initiatives such as the interventions of Bruno Fernandes, who declared that wearing his rainbow armband was “a sign of respect” for LGBTQ+ fans.
adidas didn't like it
This about-face also disappointed Adidas, a major partner of the club with a contract worth 900 million pounds over 10 years. The equipment manufacturer, which was involved in the creation of this jacket, did not wish to comment officially. Despite this controversy, Manchester United reaffirmed its commitment to diversity and inclusion in a statement: “Players are entitled to their personal opinions, particularly in matters of faith, which may at times differ from the position of the club. » This is not the first time that Mazraoui has been criticized for his opposition to these types of initiatives, having expressed similar support for a Moroccan teammate who refused to participate in a rainbow campaign in Ligue 1, in the occurrence of Zakaria Aboukhlal with Toulouse.
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To summarize
Noussaïr Mazraoui would have refused to wear Manchester United equipment in LGBTQ+ colors, enough to cause great tension among the Red Devils.
