Nantes’ Egyptian winger Mostafa Mohamed said he chose not to play in the Ligue 1 match against Toulouse because of his religious belief.
The French football authorities set aside matchday 35 as a weekend to mark the fight against homophobia with clubs across the league having rainbow-coloured numbers on the back of their jerseys.
Ahead of Saturday’s game at Stadium de Toulouse, Mohamed opted not to leave the team’s camp and he has given reasons for his action with a thread of tweets.
“I did not take part in the Toulouse vs Nantes match today. I don’t want to argue at all, but I have to state my position,” he tweeted.
“Respect for differences would be respect for others, self-respect, respect for what will be shared and what will remain different. I respect all differences. I respect all beliefs and convictions. This respect extends to others but also includes respect for my personal beliefs.
“Given my roots, my culture, the importance of my convictions and beliefs, it was not possible for me to participate in this campaign. I hope that my decision will be respected, as well as my wish not to argue about it and that everyone is treated with respect.”
Je n’ai pas pris part aujourd’hui au match Toulouse – Nantes.
Je ne souhaite pas du tout polémiquer mais je me dois de faire part de ma position.
Le respect des différences, ce serait le respect de l’autre, le respect de soi, le respect de ce qui sera mis en commun et de ce…
— Mostafa Mohamed (@mmostafa_11) May 14, 2023
Other African stars who refused to partake in the anti-homophobia weekend are Morocco’s Zakaria Aboukhlal (Toulouse), Mali’s Moussa Diarra (Toulouse) and Senegal’s Donatien Gomis (En Avant Guingamp).
Meanwhile, the Union of Professional Footballers in France (UNFP) and some French government officials condemned the action of players who refused to join the campaign while reports in France stated that 17th-placed Nantes have financially sanctioned Mohamed for missing Saturday’s game.
The goalless draw against Toulouse was the only match Mohamed has missed in the French Ligue 1 this season and he has scored eight goals with two assists in 34 matches.
