Monaco midfielder, Mohamed Camara was given a four-game suspension by the French league after covering up an anti-homophobia message on the team’s shirt during the club’s final league game of the season.
The French league’s disciplinary committee said in a
statement late Thursday that it sanctioned the Mali international for his
refusal to “carry out one or more actions to raise awareness of the fight
against homophobia.”
The French league staged its annual campaign against
discrimination during the weekend’s final round with each team wearing a badge
featuring the word “homophobia” crossed out. Camara taped over the badge during
his team’s 4-0 win over Nantes, and also skipped the pre-match group photo
where all players stood before a banner with the same message.
French Sports Minister Amélie Oudéa-Castéra called Camara’s
actions “unacceptable” and called for “firm sanctions” against both the player
and the club.
Monaco coach Adi Hütter said after the game that the club
supports the league’s initiative and that Camara’s actions were “a personal
choice.”
This was the fourth consecutive season that professional
clubs in France had been invited to use rainbow-colored numbers, armbands or
patches on their shirts to support the LGBTQ movement. Each year, similar
controversies arise.
In 2022, Senegalese-born Everton midfielder Idrissa Gueye,
then playing for PSG, refused to participate in a game requiring players to
wear shirts with rainbow-colored numbers. Senegal’s President Macky Sall
publicly supported Gueye, stating “his religious convictions must be
respected.”
Last year, Nantes fined Egyptian striker Mostafa Mohamed for
similar reasons. Mohamed again did not play in Sunday’s game. Camara also did
not play in the equivalent game last season. AP