Oliver Glasner defends Marc Guehi over rainbow armband as Crystal Palace and Ipswich captains urged to clarify LGBTQ+ position

Oliver Glasner insists Marc Guehi is “against discrimination and any abuse” when asked about the player's decision to write on his rainbow armband..

The Crystal Palace defender, who is the son of a church minister, wrote 'I love Jesus' on the Stonewall armband in his team's 1-1 draw against Newcastle last weekend.

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After being warned by the Football Association about the message, he wrote 'Jesus loves you' with a smiley face on his rainbow armband at Portman Road during his team's 1-0 win over Ipswich on Tuesday.

The armbands are sent to clubs to give to Premier League captains to wear at matches to show their support for LGBTQ+ inclusion in sport against Newcastle.

Glasner was asked about his captain's decision when speaking to Amazon after the game.

“I think we should calm down,” he said. “Everyone knows Marc, everyone knows that he is a great player, that he has a great personality. He is a very humble guy.

“He was wearing this. He is LGBT and now everyone is committed to integration, non-discrimination and Marc too. I think we all have the same opinion.

“We are in sport and in sport we are always against discrimination and any type of abuse, and Marc too.”

According to the International Football Association Board (IFAB), “slogans/emblems of initiatives that promote football, respect and integrity” are permitted.

However, it is prohibited to have “political, religious or personal slogans, statements or images” written anywhere.

Ipswich captain Sam Morsy has also been in the spotlight after deciding to ditch the rainbow armband entirely, with the Tractor Boys citing his religious beliefs as the reason for refusing to wear it.

Egyptian international Morsi is a practicing Muslim.

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Speaking about the couple's decisions regarding rainbow armbands, talkSPORT's GameDay presenter Adrian Durham said on Tuesday night: “What is Morsy's message to gay fans or players as captain of Ipswich Town Football Club? What are you trying to tell them?

“That needs to be clarified and if it doesn't align with Ipswich club policy or Premier League policy then Ipswich Town have a problem they need to resolve. “They need to ask themselves if their captain is fit for the job of fulfilling all the roles. required of him as captain.

“Being captain is more than throwing a coin into the center circle before the game. It's more than just shouting at your teammates. It's about representing the club. So does your captain not wearing the armband reflect the feeling of the club?

“Has Kieran McKenna thought this through? Why not appoint someone else as captain for the games with the rainbow armband?
Morsi's message to the LGBTQ community therefore needs to be clarified and then Ipswich needs to move forward from there.

“The same goes for Guehi, who has written all over the rainbow bracelet. If Guehi's goal was to disfigure and therefore devalue the message of the rainbow bracelet and the rainbow shoelace campaign, then we must ask ourselves why he would do that Can you explain it to Stonewall?

“Could you explain that face to face with a gay Palace fan, I wonder? If your message is that you've worn the bracelet and support the campaign but at the same time love Jesus, then I'm actually okay with that. I'm not sure why. Although I had to write all over the bracelet.

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“In both cases, as Premier League captains, they both need to make their position clear and if that means they have to give up the captaincy because they are not suitable for the position within the club, so be it.”

Former Lionesses star and current talkSPORT co-presenter Lianne Sanderson agreed that captains need to come out and clarify their position.

“It's interesting because I think people have freedom of expression,” he said. “They can say whatever they want and people can say, 'oh you know, they shouldn't have to use it if they wanted to.' I think Marc Guehi is equally similar to Morsy. I think they're both wrong if I'm being honest.

“Marc Guehi did that, I think it was wrong. I think you know him by putting 'You know I love Jesus' on his bracelet. It's interesting because I'm not really a religious person, Adrian.

“But I think it depends on someone's perception of the Bible and I think that's what it means. And I love the fact that you said these things, Adrian, because people don't want to talk about this kind of stuff.

“I think it's easy for people to say, 'Oh yeah, you'd say that because you're gay,' but that's not the reality and I agree that that's how people feel. Now, I don't think anyone needs Wear a bracelet all the time. It's time to show that you support our community.

“To be honest, I want campaigns to last more than a month and I think sometimes it's very symbolic, but it hurts our community when players don't want to do that. Now you're in England and that's the campaign, so do it.” . That. The same as when I go to Qatar I respect that culture.

“Qataris love me. Yes, there may be different people who have different opinions on those situations, but I respect that culture. So I think it's a huge kick in the teeth that they did this, but I think Marc Guehi did that. proving a point.

“So I think they need to come out and have something to say. I really do. They are leaders of the club and you're right. It's not just about tossing the coin in the center circle.

“It's a lot more than that and I think it affects our community and it's unfortunate that people still feel that way. Wearing a bracelet like when I saw John McGinn wearing it the other night I thought, 'that's really powerful,' but I didn't think that The days had passed, Adrian, where this would be a topic of conversation because it's just a bracelet but it means a lot to our community.

“So I'm divided on whether I think players should have to do X, Y and Z. I think they should want to do it, if I'm honest.”

And former England striker Dean Ashton believes Guehi and Morsy's moves have detracted from the positive impact Stonewall's Premier League campaign is having.

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However, he believes that his movements do not mean being “absolutely against” LGBTQ+ inclusion in sport.

“Well, I think it's a great point about the captaincy itself because ultimately that's who we're looking at,” Ashton said. “We are looking at two players. We are not looking at the 11 players. We are looking at the captains for what that armband certainly represents with this campaign and therefore, if you choose not to wear it or write in yes you are effectively making a point with that.

“But I also think at the same time you have to take into account the fact that some players have had it their entire lives and it could be part of their religion.

“If they decide not to do something, there will be other players who are not captains who maybe fall in the middle, where they may not want to openly support a campaign, but that doesn't mean that ultimately they are totally against it. .

“So I think sometimes we have to be careful that the fact that someone doesn't do something automatically means that they are absolutely opposed to it. But at the same time I think you're right, there has to be some clarity.

“If they're going to do that, then I think it's very important for everyone to understand why and then have a perspective on it. At the moment, it's up in the air and left to everyone to guess.”

“So it's about that, instead of a lot of other players who are more than happy (we're talking about John McGinn) and other players who are happy to openly support the campaign and that then gets missed.”

Durham concluded: “I agree that clarification of the individual point of view is everything and I think it's easily resolved that if a captain doesn't want to use it, you give it to another player who does want to use it and they become captain.” “.

Jean-Philippe Mateta's goal and Palace's 1-0 victory lift them out of the Premier League relegation zone.