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4th December 2024
10:59am GMT
Crystal Palace boss Oliver Glasner has jumped to the defence of Marc Guehi after he was reprimanded for writing 'I love Jesus' on his rainbow captain's armband.
As part of the Premier League's Rainbow Laces campaign to show support and solidarity for the LGBTQ+ community, captains of top flight clubs were given rainbow armbands to be worn over the weekend and during the ongoing round of midweek fixtures.
However, England and Palace centre-back Guehi sparked controversy after he wrote a religious message - 'I love Jesus' on his armband for Palace's 1-1 draw with Newcastle on Saturday.
He was reprimanded by the FA but despite this he wrote a new message which read 'Jesus loves you' on the armband against Ipswich on Tuesday night.
Following the game, his manager, Glasner spoke to Amazon Prime about the situation saying: "I think we should calm it down. Everybody knows Marc, everybody knows he is a great player, he is a great personality.
"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."
Guehi wasn't the only one who found himself shrouded in controversy in relation to the armband.
Ipswich Town captain Sam Morsy, 33, who is a practicing Muslim did not wear the armband for Saturday's 1-0 defeat to Nottingham Forest due to his religious beliefs and once again refused to wear it last night.
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, a devout Christian and 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.
"But if that opinion's aim is to offend you then there is a problem but if my opinion is just to express what I feel then I think that is fine and I don't think what Marc wrote on that armband is offensive.
"He is talking about him, he loves Jesus and like I said he didn't refuse to wear that armband, like Morsy, people should pay more attention to the person who refused to wear it."
Ipswich Town Football Club had to issue a statement after Morsy first refused to wear the armband pledging their support to the Rainbow Laces campaign.
It read: "Ipswich Town Football Club is committed to being a fully inclusive club that welcomes everyone. We proudly support the Premier League 's Rainbow Laces campaign and stand with the LGBTQ+ community in promoting equality and acceptance."
They went on to say: "We respect the decision of our captain Sam Morsy, who has chosen not to wear the rainbow captain's armband, due to his religious beliefs."
The other 18 Premier League captains all wore the rainbow armband in support of the LGBTQ+ community.
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