Ruben Amorim says it was a "group decision" from Manchester United players not to wear LGBTQ+ jackets due to Noussair Mazraoui's religious beliefs.
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Man Utd abandon LGBTQ+ jacket planMazraoui refused to take part on religious groundsAmorim says it was the players' "group decision"Follow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?
The Red Devils were set to wear a special adidas jacket in support of the LGBTQ+ community before their 4-0 win over Everton last weekend, but those plans were dropped as Mazraoui was not on board with it, citing his Muslim faith. Now, head coach Amorim has revealed that no player would wear the jacket in order to prevent the Morocco international from being singled out.
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He told reporters: "It was a group decision as players, as it should be. There are three difficult things to manage. On one side it’s club values and I think all can agree that it’s not an issue but then you have religion, which you have to respect. It’s our values to respect other opinions. And then the third thing is the group thing. I won’t leave Nous [Mazraoui] alone, we’re a team. The majority of the players believe in one thing but they saw one guy alone and said, ‘Let’s be together’. It’s three things we have to manage and respect. It’s a hard issue to address. I think we did it in a good way. This club represents… we need to respect everything but we also respect the religion of Nous and his culture."
THE BIGGER PICTURE
This matter has been a big talking point over the past week as Crystal Palace captain Marc Guehi wrote short messages about Jesus on his Rainbow armband in two consecutive games, while Ipswich Town skipper Sam Morsy refused to wear one altogether on religious grounds. These incidents have sparked a debate about promoting more socially progressive views and respecting players' religious beliefs. Both players were warned by the Football Association but no punishments have come their way.
AFPWHAT NEXT?
Amorim's United side, who sit 13th in the Premier League, host seventh-placed Nottingham Forest in the English top-flight on Saturday evening at Old Trafford.
