Noussair Mazraoui in action against Everton
Noussair Mazraoui in action against Everton
Ruben Amorim has defended the decision by Manchester United's players not to wear Rainbow jackets in support of the LGBTQ+ community.
United's squad took a collective decision not to wear the jackets before their 4-0 win over Everton at Old Trafford, after defender Noussair Mazraoui refused to do so, citing his religious beliefs. Mazraoui said he would not be able to wear the jacket on the grounds of his Muslim faith, with the rest of the United squad deciding not to wear them in solidarity with him.
Amorim, who was not involved in the discussions about the jackets, said: “It was a group decision as players, as it should be, and then there’s three difficult things to manage.
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“On one side it’s club values, and I think all can agree that it’s not an issue, but then you have religion, which you have to respect. It’s our values to respect other opinions. Then the third thing is the group thing - I won’t leave Nous alone, we’re a team. The majority of the players believe in one thing, but they saw one guy alone and said 'let’s be together'.
“It’s three things we have to manage and respect, so it’s a hard issue to address. I think we did it in a good way. We need to respect everything but we also respect the religion of Nous and his culture.”
Bruno Fernandes wore a Rainbow captain's armband against Everton
Bruno Fernandes wore a Rainbow captain's armband against Everton
Asked if the players will take the same stance again in the future, Amorim said: “I don’t know if Nous is going to change his religion and his beliefs.
“I don’t know. We will address at the time if it comes, but it’s a really hard decision. But there’s no doubt what this club believes and fights for.”
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