United's Noussair Mazraoui has been the cause of the English team's decision

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Manchester United players refuse to wear their jackets in support of LGBT issues

Manchester United have decided not to play with a jacket in support of the LGBT community ahead of the match against Everton, following the refusal of Moroccan defender Noussair Mazraoui. The player, due to his religious beliefs, objected to wearing the jacket that Adidas has included in its ‘Rainbow Laces’ campaign for Premier League teams to give voice to the inclusion and equality of the LGBT community. And it is not the first time that the Moroccan has shown his opinion about supporting the cause at matches. When Mazraoui was playing for Bayern Munich, he supported Zakaria Abouokhlal's refusal to participate in a similar initiative in France.

The proposal for teams to wear kits that include symbols in support of this group, which has been in place since 2013, has generated several controversies over the past year. For example, when Ipswich Town captain Sam Morsy decided to stand out from other captains and not wear a rainbow-coloured captain's armband, or when Marc Guehi, Crystal Palace's captain, almost received a sanction from the English Football Association for writing ‘I love Jesus’ on his armband.

In the recent case, as reported by The Athletic, most United players objected to wearing the jacket. Despite the fact that the English team has a ten-year, more than 1 billion euro agreement with Adidas, which has publicly stated that it is disappointed with Manchester United's decision not to support the charity initiative.

Faced with this controversy that has set the networks on fire and accused United of not supporting the cause, a spokesperson for the team said in a statement that ‘Manchester United welcomes all fans, including members of the LGBT community, and we are very committed to the principles of diversity and inclusion. We demonstrate these principles through a range of activities. Players are entitled to their own views, especially regarding their faith, and these may sometimes differ from those of the club’.