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Hello. Today, we’re writing about the controversy surrounding the Premier League’s annual LGBTQ+ campaign.
Plus: Leaders Liverpool stumble and FIFA finds a Club World Cup broadcaster.
Clouds over Rainbow Laces: Why has there been controversy?
The Premier League’s Rainbow Laces campaign has been going since 2013. Partnered with the charity Stonewall, the league earmarks a period of each season — usually falling in November or December — to promote LGBTQ+ rights.
It is so-called because at the very start, players showed their solidarity by wearing rainbow-coloured laces in their boots.
Eleven years on, the initiative is a fixed part of the calendar and the Premier League’s clubs do their bit in helping to drive the equality message. In 2021, I spoke to Luke Ayling and Rodrigo, who were Leeds United team-mates at the time, about the Rainbow Laces movement. They were thoroughly supportive of it.
But the campaign has not been without problems or opponents and on-field opposition to it has been dramatically amplified this season.
Last weekend’s games and the current round of midweek matches were designated as Rainbow Laces fixtures. Certain players chose to directly challenge the Premier League’s directives, making Rainbow Laces front and centre but not in the way the powers that be hoped. A battle of principles is now in full flow.
Divisions in the sport
Crystal Palace captain Marc Guehi against Newcastle (Julian Finney/Getty Images)
It started on Saturday, with Ipswich Town captain Sam Morsy, a practising Muslim, refusing to wear a rainbow armband because of his faith. Every Premier League captain was expected to have one on but during their 1-0 defeat to Nottingham Forest, he was alone in saying no. Ipswich said they respected his stance while underlining their own support for LGBTQ+ rights.
In contrast, Crystal Palace’s Marc Guehi, a devout Christian, wore his armband but, in a 1-1 draw with Newcastle United, wrote an “I love Jesus” message on it. Players are not permitted to promote in-game political or religious messages and the Football Association warned him against a repeat, only for Guehi (above) to display a similar slogan against Ipswich on Tuesday. The FA’s response was to warn him for a second time.
It then emerged, via an exclusive from The Athletic’s Adam Crafton, that Manchester United were supposed to be kitted out in an Adidas-designed walk-out jacket promoting LGBTQ+ equality before Sunday’s win over Everton, until defender Noussair Mazraoui objected.
Manchester United defender Noussair Mazraoui (Michael Regan/Getty Images)
Mazraoui took issue with the top, citing his Muslim faith, and United’s squad abandoned the idea to prevent him from being singled out. From reading Adam’s piece, it’s clear that not all of Mazraoui’s colleagues were happy about the U-turn.
Politically, this is a headache for the Premier League. The point of Rainbow Laces is to bring people together. Instead, some in the sport are divided by it.
Can Rainbow Laces survive?
Football is an extension of society, which itself is experiencing culture wars on every front. The Rainbow Laces campaign is trapped in a debate over freedom of expression: the promotion of LGBTQ+ support versus the right to religious views.
Of interest will be the Premier League’s response to the events of the past week. In previous years, it has had very little to say about controversies surrounding its Rainbow Laces project. If it thinks the campaign is worth fighting for, it cannot quietly move on.
News round-up 🗞️
Mohamed Salah scores against Newcastle on Wednesday (Justin Setterfield/Getty Images)
Premier entertainment
Eyes peeled for smoke signals from Molineux. Yes, Wolverhampton Wanderers have been stoic in giving head coach Gary O’Neil time to beat the tide and swim to safety, but a 4-0 drilling at Everton last night must be testing even their patience.
I said there would be hell to pay for whichever club lost that rumble and there probably should be. Wolves were rotten. Their defending scored high on the abysmal scale. O’Neil insists he’ll fight on, but those are the words coaches reach for when there’s nothing left to say.
Wolves head coach Gary O’Neil is under pressure (Jack Thomas/Wolves via Getty Images)
Everton were one of a few teams who needed a result and got one. Manchester City are back (not really, but it sounds good) after beating Nottingham Forest 3-0, ending a run of four Premier League defeats. A goal and an assist (not to mention 74 minutes on the pitch) from Kevin De Bruyne was a sight for sore eyes. Aston Villa beating Brentford 3-1 gave them a first victory since late October.
Arsenal were at it again with the fabled set-piece playbook, scoring twice from corners to beat Manchester United 2-0. I’ve said it before, but when you combine the movement, the quality of delivery and their aerial prowess (see goal one, below), I just don’t see how you’re supposed to defend them.
(YouTube/Sky Sports)
The best news for Arsenal — and Chelsea, who rattled Southampton 5-1 — is that they’ve reeled in leaders Liverpool slightly. The gap is down to seven points after Liverpool and Newcastle United kept up the tradition of their clashes, going tonto in a 3-3 draw.
Fabian Schar’s last-minute equaliser will do the mood at Newcastle no harm, but they’ll rue the fact the game might have gone 4-3 in their favour had referee Andy Madley not blown for full time with them in the middle of this attack…
(X/@primevideosport)
DAZN secures rights to Club World Cup
Excitement is at fever pitch, truly, as we head towards the draw for the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup (it’s in Miami, it’s at 1pm ET/6pm UK today, and we’re braced for a certain amount of preening).
There’s still nothing to suggest that anybody other than FIFA likes this concept, but to prove that miracles do happen, the world governing body secured a broadcast partner yesterday, just in the nick of time for today’s shenanigans.
DAZN has bought the rights and says every Club World Cup fixture will be free to watch globally. I am being facetious about the tournament, but it’s going ahead, so we should get our heads around it. Anantaajith Raghuraman has put together a definitive explainer for us.
Long story short: 32 teams are taking part, all of whom have now qualified or been chosen. It starts with eight groups of four, with two sides from each group progressing to the knockouts. The burning question FIFA is yet to answer (and what every club wants to know) is how much the winners stand to earn. Like it or not, it’s all about the money.
Around The Athletic FC 🔄
Catch a Match (ET/UK time) 📺
Premier League: Fulham vs Brighton, 2.30pm/7.30pm — Peacock Premium/Amazon Prime; Bournemouth vs Tottenham, 3.15pm/8.15pm — USA Network, Fubo/Amazon Prime.
Coppa Italia, last 16: Napoli vs Lazio, 3pm/8pm — CBS, Paramount+, Amazon Prime/Premier Sports.
And finally…
(Sky Sports)
Down in the depths of England’s third tier, Shrewsbury Town are having a time of it: three wins from 17 League One games, relegation looming and a 2-1 defeat against Blackpool yesterday — but Mal Benning did give them some fun, with a goal from about 70 yards out (above). You can’t beat a comedy goalkeeping dive. This one scores a strong 7.8.
(Top photo: Richard Pelham/Getty Images)