The refusal of the players to wear jerseys with LGBTI colors has caused controversy in France.
A campaign against homophobia was carried out last weekend in the French Leagues 1 and 2, but some players refused to wear these colors. Guingamp’s Senegalese defender Donatien Gomis opted not to play his team’s match last Saturday to avoid taking part in a campaign against homophobia, the club told AFP, confirming a report in France’s Télégramme daily.
All Ligue 1 and Ligue 2 players wore rainbow-colored shirts this past weekend in support of the annual “Homos or Straights, We All Wear the Same Shirt” campaign, which captains will also wear on their wristbands.
To raise funds for the LGTBI rights organizations Foot Ensemble, PanamBoyzandGirlz United and SOS Homophobie, these shirts will be auctioned later.
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Gomis, a constant starter at the heart of Guingamp’s defence, was opposed to wearing that jersey. The club “has taken notice” and the 28-year-old will meet chairman Fred Le Grand next week.
Another Senegalese who was absent on this day last year was Idrissa Gana Gueye, an international who currently plays for Everton but was playing for Paris SG at the time. Both incidents were supposed to be related.
The footballer received an outpouring of support from his nation after he was required to defend himself before the French Football Federation’s National Council of Ethics (CNE), an organization with no authority to impose sanctions.