Crystal Palace captain Marc Guehi will face no formal action from the Football Association despite wearing an adapted rainbow armband for the second time.
The player and the club had been reminded of FA kit regulations after he wore an armband saying ‘I love Jesus’ in Saturday’s match against Newcastle.
He then wore one stating ‘Jesus loves you’ against Ipswich on Tuesday night, but the FA will still not take action.
The club and the player were again reminded of kit regulations, which state that the appearance on, or incorporation in, any item of clothing, football boots or other equipment, of any religious message is prohibited under Rule A4.
Captains have been wearing rainbow armbands in the last two rounds of Premier League matches as part of the Rainbow Laces campaign, which offers support to the LGBTQ+ community in football and beyond.
After the match against the Tractor Boys, Palace boss Oliver Glasner issued a staunch defense for the England star.
Crystal Palace captain Marc Guehi will face no formal action from the Football Association despite wearing an adapted rainbow armband for the second time
Guehi sparked controversy after scrawling ‘Jesus loves you’ on his armband against Ipswich
Ipswich Town captain Sam Morsy refused to wear a rainbow armband during his side’s 1-0 defeat by Nottingham Forest on religious grounds
Speaking to Amazon Prime , Glasner said: ‘I think we should calm it down. Everybody knows Marc, everybody knows he is a great player, he is a great personality.
‘He is a very humble guy. He wore this. It’s LGBT and everyone now is about integration, no discrimination, and Marc as well.
‘I think we all have the same opinion. We are in sports and in sports we are always against discrimination and any kind of abuse, and Marc as well.’
The Portman Road clash was also notable for the decision of Ipswich Town skipper Sam Morsy to refuse to wear the rainbow armband altogether, having first done so last weekend.
Despite the FA reprimanding Guehi for his decision to write on the armband, they opted not to take action against Morsy for not wearing it – which Guehi’s father spoke out against.
John Guehi, who is a devout Christian and a church minister, told MailOnline: ‘I am saying did he offend anyone? I don’t think so. I do believe in what the Bible says, Jesus loves everyone, and, in my opinion, Marc did not offend anyone with what he wrote.
‘Jesus loved everyone therefore by saying ‘I love Jesus’ on his armband I really don’t see what is offensive and what the problem is.
‘If you look at what the LGBT community are doing, they are trying to impose on others what they believe in, it’s belief against belief, but at the end of the day everyone has the right to an opinion.’
Guehi’s father John (left) came forward and defended his son’s decision with the bracelet
The FA’s decision not to take formal action against Guehi comes amid reports that Manchester United scrapped plans to wear an LGBT rainbow jacket after defender Noussair Mazraoui refused to wear it.
Over the past two years, as part of the Premier League’s Rainbow Laces campaign, United’s players have worn a pride-themed jersey to warm up ahead of games, to show support for the LGBTQ + community.
According to The Athletic , this year United had planned to walk-out in a rainbow jacket prior to their clash against Everton but the Moroccan star refused.
The outlet claim that the Mazraoui, who is a devout Muslim, told his teammates that he would not be wearing the jacket and cited his religious faith as his reasoning.
The club then decided that no player would wear the tracksuit, so that Mazraoui would not be singled out publicly. The decision was reportedly taken hours before kick-off on Sunday.
In a statement to the outlet, United said: ‘ Manchester United welcomes fans from all backgrounds, including members of the LGBTQ+ community, and we are strongly committed to the principles of diversity and inclusion.
‘We demonstrate these principles through a range of activities, including support for our Rainbow Devils supporters’ club, and campaigns to celebrate our LGBTQ+ fans and combat all forms of discrimination.
‘Players are entitled to hold their own individual opinions, particularly in relation to their faith, and these may sometimes differ from the club’s position.’
United did not want Mazraoui to be singled out in public so scrapped the pre-match plans entirely
Former United stars Cristiano Ronaldo (middle) and Jadon Sancho (right) pictured in the jacket
On Wednesday morning, United’s LGBT fan group – Rainbow Devils – issued a response and admitted that they were ‘disappointed’ in the summer signing.
Meanwhile, The Athletic further claim that a source from Adidas – who are United’s sponsors and made the pre-match jacket – were left disappointed by the situation. United’s sponsorship with Adidas is worth £900million over a 10-year period.
Mazraoui, 27, was previously criticised by fans over his political views after he showed support to Morocco team-mate Zakaria Aboukhlal – who had refused to take part in France’s Ligue 1’s rainbow campaign.
As a response, Bayern Munich’s fans held up a banner that read: ‘All colours are beautiful. In Toulouse, Munich and everywhere. Respect our values Mazraoui!’
