“A second player has been banned, while a third avoided punishment Joshua Hall, Sports Reporter Published: 19:03, 5 Jun 2025 Updated: 19:03, 5 Jun 2025 NEMANJA MATIC has received a ban after he covered an LGBTQ+ campaign logo on his kit with tape. The former Manchester United and Chelsea midfielder, who now plays for Ligue”, — write: www.thesun.co.uk
- Joshua Hall, Sports Reporter
- Published: 19:03, 5 Jun 2025
- Updated: 19:03, 5 Jun 2025
The former Manchester United and Chelsea midfielder, who now plays for Ligue 1 club Lyon, covered up the logo on his sleeve for the final game of the season.
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Nemanja Matic has been banned for two games for covering an LGBTQ+ campaign logo on his sleeve with tapeCredit: AFP
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The Ligue 1 rainbow logo was part of an anti-homophobia campaignCredit: GettyMatic, 36, used tape to cover a rainbow coloured Ligue 1 logo on his Lyon shirt for their final day victory over Angers.
The logo was part of Ligue 1’s annual campaign against homophobia which sees every club shirt adorned with the rainbow design.
Matic wasn’t the only player to cover the logo, with Le Havre forward Ahmed Hassan also covering the sleeve design with tape.
According to Belgian news outlet HLN, both Matic and Hassan have been handed two-match bans by the French Football Federation as a result of their actions.
The pair will also reportedly have to undergo an awareness campaign about homophobia in football.
Matic is believed to be a member of the Serbian Orthodox Church and Hassan is Muslim.
A third player, Nantes striker Mostafa Mohamed, has escaped punishment after refusing to play with the logo.
Mohamed, who is also a practicing Muslim, chose not to play in the final match of the season rather than covering the logo up.
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Le Havre forward Ahmed Hassan (right) also covered up the logoCredit: Getty
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Mostafa Mohamed chose not to play with the logo on his sleeveCredit: AFPMohamed cited his ‘values’ for not playing in Nantes 3-0 win over Montpellier.
He wrote on social media: “Living together also means recognising that this diversity can be expressed differently from one person to another.
“I believe in mutual respect – the respect we owe others, but also the respect we owe ourselves and our beliefs.
“As for me, there are deep-rooted values tied to my heritage and my faith, which make participating in this initiative difficult.”
The actions of the Matic, Hassan and Mohamed prompted France’s sports minister Marie Basacq to issue a statement after the final day of the Ligue 1 campaign.
Barsacq said: “Football has a massive platform, and the [French Football] Federation is determined to put this issue on the clubs’ and supporters’ agenda.
“Homophobic insults and behaviour are no longer acceptable.
“Society has evolved, and the language in football must change with it. There’s a full range of sanctions available, and they must be applied.”
Although rare, some players have spoken out in support of the LGBTQ+ community in the past.
Speaking six years ago, Atletico Madrid and French international Antoine Griezmann said: “If a gay player wants to come out, he might not have all the France players with him, but he will have me.”