Crystal Palace defender Marc Guehi is at risk of punishment by the Football Association (FA) after displaying a religious message on his rainbow captain’s armband.
The England international, 24, sported a ‘I love Jesus’ message on his armband during Saturday’s Premier League fixture with Newcastle United.
Every team’s captain — barring one — wore the armbands across Rainbow Laces weekend, an initiative run by the English top flight in partnership with LGBTQ+ charity Stonewall to promote equality, diversity and LGBTQ+ acceptance.
Guehi, who is a devout Christian, wore the rainbow armband but the religious message included on it could see him punished by the game’s authorities with IFAB’s (The International Football Association Board) laws of the game prohibiting such statements on equipment worn during matches.
“Equipment must not have any political, religious or personal slogans, statements or images,” the relevant section of the laws reads.
For any offence “the player and/or the team will be sanctioned by the competition organiser, national football association or by FIFA,” it adds.
Crystal Palace, the Premier League and FA have been approached by The Athletic for comment.
A recent survey conducted by Stonewall found one in four LGBTQ+ people do not feel welcome at live sports events, while one in three Black, Asian and minority ethnic LGBTQ+ people who attended a live sport event in the last year reported experiencing discrimination.
The Premier League’s Rainbow Laces campaign was introduced in 2013 and takes place across matchweeks 13 and 14 this season.
In addition to armbands, rainbow corner flags, ball plinths and handshake boards are provided to clubs by the Premier League to use at stadiums during the two matchweeks.
It is not compulsory for captains to wear the rainbow armband and is instead down to the choice of the individual.
Ipswich Town captain Sam Morsy, who is a practising Muslim, was the only captain not to wear a rainbow armband during the weekend’s fixtures with the club later confirming he chose not to because of his religious beliefs.
(Top image: Richard Pelham/Getty Images)
