Former Manchester United midfielder Nemanja Matic, now playing for Lyon, has been handed a two-game suspension in France for obscuring the rainbow-colored Ligue 1 logo on his shirt during the season's final match against Angers.
Matic reportedly used a piece of white card to cover the emblem, which is part of Ligue 1's annual anti-homophobia campaign aimed at showing support for the LGBTQ+ community. This decision means Matic, who joined Lyon in 2024 and has been a key player in their qualification for the Europa League, will miss the beginning of the upcoming season.
Le Havre midfielder Ahmed Hassan received an identical two-game ban for a similar act, also covering his logo. Interestingly, Nantes striker Mostafa Mohamed, who refused to participate in the final match of the season altogether, has not faced punishment. Matic is understood to be a member of the Serbian Orthodox Church, while Mohamed and Hassan are Muslim, suggesting that religious beliefs may have played a role in their decisions.
Both Matic and Hassan have also been mandated to participate in an awareness campaign focused on homophobia in football. Ligue 1's initiative, now in its fifth year, has consistently sparked controversy annually, with some players, often citing reasons of faith, declining to take part.
