This Sunday, five players from Toulouse have been left out of a Ligue 1 game against Nantes. The reason was because they refused to wear a rainbow jersey to commemorate the International Day against Homophobia and Transphobia which will be celebrated next May 17.
Toulouse are the recent French Cup champions and confirmed the reasons for a historic decision. “The players from our roster expressed their disagreement to associate their image with the rainbow colors representing the LGBT movement. Even though we respect the individual choices of the players, Toulouse have decided to separate them from this Sunday’s match against Nantes.”
As a consequence, the situation became a scandal in France after the names of the players were revealed. Check out more details about what happened with Toulouse in Ligue 1.
Which players were sanctioned by Toulouse for not wearing LGBT jerseys?
Moussa Diarra, Fares Chaibi, Zakaria Aboukhlal, Logan Costa and Said Hamulic were the players who didn’t appear in the game as they refused to support the cause wearing rainbow jerseys.
“The openness to the world is an integral part of the club’s DNA. Our players are chosen for their human qualities regardless of their beliefs or convictions. Toulouse wishes to recall their longstanding commitment to the fight against homophobia and all forms of discrimination. For more than two decades now, the club has undertaken and supported numerous projects to promote the values of respect, tolerance and sharing.”
Toulouse also announced that, through the club’s foundation, they will continue to interact daily with their players, employees, volunteers and fans to educate and create a serene, inclusive and tolerant environment. At the moment, it seems the sanction was only for this week’s matchup.
