Matt Lucas has hit out at players choosing not to wear rainbow-coloured armbands after several Premier League stars refused to show solidarity in the recent round of Premier League games.
It comes after devout Christian Marc Guehi chose to write ‘I love Jesus’ over his rainbow armband at the weekend, before wearing a second on Tuesday at Ipswich Town that read: ‘Jesus loves you’.
The Portman Road clash was also notable for the decision of Ipswich Town skipper Sam Morsy to refuse to wear the rainbow armband altogether, having first done so last weekend.
Captains have been wearing rainbow armbands in the last two rounds of Premier League matches as part of the Rainbow Laces campaign, which offers support to the LGBTQ+ community in football and beyond.
The Athletic then reported that Man United star Noussair Mazraoui, who is a devout Muslim, told his colleagues that he would not be wearing a rainbow jacket to show support for the LGBTQ+ community and cited his religious faith as his reasoning.
United decided that no player would wear the tracksuit, so Mazraoui would not be singled out publicly – with the decision reportedly just taken hours before kick-off on Sunday.
Matt Lucas has slammed players deciding not to wear rainbow armbands to show solidarity with the LGBTQ+ community
In the wake of the controversy, famous Arsenal fan Matt Lucas has slammed those deciding not to show their support with rainbow armbands,
‘I have been verbally abused twice on the way to football matches so far this season. On both occasions I was minding my own business, head down, walking to the ground.
‘I was called “a f***ing queer ****” by one man and another told me that “our club doesn’t want disgusting gay fans”.
‘If you’re a player and that offends you less than wearing a rainbow-coloured armband for a couple of matches, then maybe you’re part of the problem.’
