Nemanja Matic, the former Manchester United and Chelsea midfielder, could face disciplinary action after covering an anti-homophobia symbol on his kit during a recent Ligue 1 match. Now 36 and playing for Lyon, Matic is under increasing scrutiny following an incident during his team's 2-0 win over Angers on Saturday.
The controversy arose when he appeared to deliberately conceal a rainbow-coloured logo - part of a league-wide campaign to support the International Day Against Homophobia, Biphobia, and Transphobia.
All Ligue 1 clubs wore anti-discrimination patches on their right sleeves for the final matchday of the season. However, when Matic came on as a substitute in the 69th minute, the commemorative logo on his sleeve was visibly - and deliberately - covered with white tape. As a result, talkSPORT claim the midfielder is now in danger of being banned.
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Nemanja Matic Facing Ban For Covering Anti-Homophobia Logo
He isn't the first Ligue 1 player to have covered up important messages
nemanja matic lyon
A second-half brace from Alexandre Lacazette, who will depart Lyon at the end of the season, secured the three points for the French giants at the Groupama Stadium at the weekend. However, the occasion was no doubt marred somewhat by the actions of Matic.
The veteran midfielder shared a picture of him with the goalscorer after the match where the obvious attempt to cover up the LGBTQ+ logo was very clear, while photos taken during the game do just the same. See the incident below:
The Athletic journalist Adam Crafton quickly shared his thoughts on social media, pointing out that it is "quite another level of cruel to cross out a symbol that is simply against discrimination." See his X post below:
The former Premier League star's actions, however, are nothing new. Monaco's Mohamed Camara received a four-match ban after he did the same during his side's 4-0 win over Nantes on the final day of the 2023/24 season. Camara taped over a campaign logo on his chest and the Ligue 1 rainbow badge on his sleeve.
As a result, the Ligue de Football Professionnel (LFP) handed down a suspension due to Mali international Camara's refusal "to carry out one or more actions to raise awareness of the fight against homophobia". Though it quickly sparked debate over the issues surrounding freedom of thought and expression.
"Living together also means recognising that diversity can be expressed differently depending on the person," the Egyptian said, as per talkSPORT. "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."