Nemanja Matic has been handed a two-match ban for taping over an anti-homophobia message on his shirt while playing for Lyon.
The former Manchester United and Chelsea midfielder hid the slogan in Lyon’s 2-0 win over Angers on May 17, which had been embroidered on his sleeve as part of a campaign by Ligue 1.
The campaign, now in its fifth year, usually sees players wear rainbow-coloured symbols on their kit, with banners also displayed in stadiums to raise awareness to the issues surrounding homophobia.
However, Matic drew the ire of the league after using white tape to conceal the message and has now been dealt with a two- match ban, as well as a further two matches suspended.
This is despite the fact, as things stand, Matic will no longer be a Lyon player come the end, with his contract set to expire and no agreement over an extension being in place.
Matic was not the only player to be hit with punishment for taping over the anti-homophobia message, with Le Havre striker Ahmed Hassan doing the same. He has also been handed the same suspension.
This acts as the latest form of resistance the LGBTQ+ awareness campaign has received over the years, with numerous players having taken issue with the display on religious grounds.
Nantes striker Mostafa Mohamed refused to take part in the final match of the season due to his beliefs as a Muslim, but escaped any ban.
Speaking on why he opted to avoid the initiative, Mohamed wrote on Instagram: “Living together also means recognising that this diversity can be expressed differently from one person to another,’ he wrote on social media.
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“I believe in mutual respect – the respect we owe others, but also the respect we owe ourselves and our beliefs. As for me, there are deep-rooted values tied to my heritage and my faith, which make participating in this initiative difficult.”
Former Monaco midfielder Mohamed Camara was last year dealt a four-year ban for doing the same as Matic and Hassan in taping over the anti-homophobia logo.
It acts as the second time Matic has hit the headlines in recent months after he got into a spat with Man United stopper Andre Onana for branding him “one of the worst goalkeepers” in the club’s history.
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