Manchester United players reportedly scrapped a plan to wear rainbow jackets in support of the LGBTQ+ community after Noussair Mazraoui refused to participate, citing his religious beliefs, a report has claimed.

Ahead of their match with Everton on Sunday (1 December), the team had planned to walk-out in rainbow jackets in support of the Rainbow Laces campaign, which promotes LGBTQ+ inclusion in sport.

The Athletic reported that despite plans, Mazraoui, who is Muslim, refused to wear one and cited his religious beliefs to his colleagues as the reason. 

In response, the team decided no one would wear the jacket so that he wouldn’t be singled out publicly. According to the website, this decision was made just hours before kick-off. 

‘Players are entitled to hold their own individual opinions’

Manchester United has said in response that it welcomes everyone and is “strongly committed to the principles of diversity and inclusion”. 

Its statement added: “We demonstrate these principles through a range of activities, including support for our Rainbow Devils supporters’ club, and campaigns to celebrate our LGBTQ+ fans and combat all forms of discrimination.

“Players are entitled to hold their own individual opinions, particularly in relation to their faith, and these may sometimes differ from the club’s position.”

But the reported incident hs upset the LGBTQ+ community and its allies, with United’s LGBTQ+ fan group, the Rainbow Devil, airing their disappointment on X. 

On Wednesday (4 December), they took to the platform to share a statement in which they wrote news that the jackets wouldn’t be worn came as a “great disappointment”. 

“We respect the right of this player to have his own views, whilst also feeling disappointed that he put the rest of the squad into a position where they felt that they couldn’t wear their jackets,” the statement continued. 

“We also worry what kind of negative effect this incident might have on any player at the club who may be struggling with their sexuality.”

The group concluded, writing that it will continue its work with the club to ensure inclusivity. 

A statement from Rainbow Devils following the @AdamCrafton_ article in @TheAthleticFC https://t.co/zSoBBdydEm

— Rainbow Devils (@RainbowDevils) December 4, 2024

The latest controversy comes after Ipswich Town captain Sam Morsy who chose not to wear an LGBTQ+ rainbow armband in support of the community because of his religious beliefs. 

Similarly, Crystal Palace footballer Marc Guehi took to vandalising the rainbow captain’s armband writing “I Love Jesus” on it. He has since taken to Instagram to write on his story: “Jesus [loves] you. Stay blessed”.

Stonewall’s Rainbow Laces campaign, which seeks to tackle anti-LGBTQ+ hate in sport and has been shown to have improved the attitudes of sports fans towards the LGBTQ+ community.

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