Premier League Player Complains He Was Put On Matchday Programme Cover During Rainbow Laces Period

ByMF Jones

An unnamed Premier League player has complained to his club that he has been put on the front of the Match-day programme during the Rainbow Laces period for the 2nd year in a row.

According to The Athletic, the player was concerned that people would think he was gay.

It turns out there’s been pushback from several players in the Premier League regarding the league’s partnership with LGBTQ+ charity Stonewall.

This player in particular however expressed concern that being the face of the LGBTQ+ inclusion initiative on his club’s matchday programme might lead people to believe he was gay rather than just an ally.

The player in question may be anonymous, but several other players have publicly opted out of Rainbow Laces activations:

  • Sam Morsy (Ipswich Town): Refused to wear the rainbow captain’s armband], citing his religious beliefs as a practicing Muslim.
  • Noussair Mazraoui (Manchester United): Refused to wear a pride-themed warm-up jacket in early 2026, leading the entire Manchester United squad to abandon the jackets so he would not be singled out (that’s nice of them).
  • Anel Ahmedhodžić (formerly Sheffield United): Refused to wear the rainbow armband during the 2023–24 season while serving as captain.
  • Marc Guéhi (Crystal Palace): Chose to wear the armband but modified it with religious messages such as “I love Jesus” and “Jesus loves you”.

Moving forward, the league is set to introduce a new approach titled “With Pride”.

This new initiative would mean captains are no longer required to wear rainbow armbands, and players are no longer asked to wear pride-themed warm-up tops or rainbow laces.

Instead, to reduce pressure on individual players, the league is exploring the use of a collective symbol, such as a pride-themed match ball, which players cannot individually opt out of using.

I wonder how players like Mazraoui and Guéhi will feel about having to kick an LGBTQ+ ball around? Would be quite the pickle for the clubs and the league if they refuse to play. Maybe they can just say “no homo” before every touch?

Meanwhile, Egypt & Iran are still trying to get the 2026 World Cup ‘Pride match’ cancelled. Of all the teams to ask to play in that game!

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