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14th May 2023
12:44pm BST
Five Toulouse players have reportedly refused to play in their Ligue 1 fixture this weekend as part of a protest against the French top flight's campaign against homophobia.
Games in the league this weekend have been dedicated to the league's initiative against homophobia and will see all numbers on the back of the players' shirt changed to the colours of the rainbow.
But according to La Depeche du Midi, many of the Toulouse first team have voiced their disapproval of the campaign to manager Philippe Montanier and said that they don't want to play as a result.
They claimed that the five in question are: Zakaria Aboukhlal, Moussa Diarra, Fares Chaibi, Logan Costa and Said Hamulic, with both Aboukhlal and Hamulic outrightly refusing to wear the rainbow shirts.
La Depeche du Midi added that Costa has denied asking not to feature in the game and he has since been named among the substitutes
Donatien Gomis of Guingamp in the second tier of France also chose not to play this weekend, as confirmed by the club's president.
"Donatien Gomis has expressed his choice not to wear this jersey. We have taken note of it," said Fred Le Grand
The French league came under scrutiny last year after Idrissa Gana Gueye - who was at Paris Saint-Germain last season - allegedly refused to play to avoid to avoid wearing the anti-homophobia shirt.
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