Former Chelsea and Manchester United midfielder Nemanja Matic could face a substantial ban after he covered an anti-homophobia message on his kit with tape.
Clubs in France sported rainbow-coloured logos on their right sleeve on Saturday to commemorate International Day Against Homophobia, Biphobia and Transphobia.
But two-time Premier League winner Matic, 36, opted not to participate, instead taping over the message with a strip of white tape.
Matic, currently playing for Ligue 1 side Lyon, came on as a second-half substitute in the 2-0 win over Angers.
Fans quickly spotted Matic had covered up the anti-homophobia message on his kit.
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The Serbia international had no reservations highlighting his protest either as he posted several pictures on social media from the game which showed the message covered up.
Matic is not the first player to cover up an anti-homophobia message, with Monaco’s Mohamed Camara receiving a four-match ban for his decision to do so last season.
The Ligue de Football Professionnel (LFP) hit Camara with a suspension as they said the Mali footballer refused to ‘carry out one or more actions to raise awareness of the fight against homophobia’.
At the time, France’s sports minister called for the ‘strongest sanctions’ to be taken against Camara and Monaco.
‘It is unacceptable behaviour,’ sports minister Amelie Oudea-Castera told French radio station RTL.
‘I had the chance to tell the LFP what I thought about it and I think such behaviour must be subject to the strongest sanctions against the player and the club which allowed it to happen.’
Mostafa Mohamed, who plays for Nantes, has repeatedly refused to engage in the anti-homophobia initiative.
The Egyptian, who cited his personal beliefs as the reason he would not participate, has not featured in any of Nantes’ matchday squads that coincide with the league’s anti-homophobia initiatives.
As a result he was left out of Nantes’ 3-0 win over Montpellier on Saturday.
‘Everyone carries their own story, culture and sensitivity,’ Mohamed previously said.
‘Living together also means recognising that diversity can be expressed differently depending on the person.
‘I believe in mutual respect. The respect we owe others, but also the respect we owe to ourselves and our beliefs.
‘For me, there are deep-rooted values linked to my background and my beliefs that make my participation in this initiative difficult.’
Earlier this season, England and Crystal Palace defender Marc Guehi wrote ‘Jesus loves you’ on a rainbow armband that was worn as part of the Premier League’s LGBTQ+ inclusion initiative in association with the charity Stonewall.
‘The message was just a message of truth and love and inclusivity to be honest,’ Guehi said.
‘I don’t think the message was harmful in any way – that’s all I can really say about that to be honest.
‘I believe 100% in the words that I wrote – it’s a message of truth and love, and I hope people can understand that my faith is my faith, and I’ll stand by it for the rest of my life.’
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