Crystal Palace captain Marc Guehi has addressed the controversy over his “Jesus loves you” message scrawled onto his rainbow armband.Â
The devout Christian player was reprimanded by the Football Association (FA) after displaying the message during Palace’s 1-0 win at Ipswich on Tuesday night, and for writing “I [heart] Jesus” on a rainbow armband at an earlier match.
The FA reminded Guehi that religious messaging isn’t allowed on kits. However, captains are being encouraged to wear rainbow armbands as a part of the Premier League’s LGBTQ+ inclusion initiative, which is being led in association with the charity Stonewall.
Guehi told the BBC, “I believe the message was pretty clear to be honest. It was a message of affection and truth as well, and a message of inclusivity so I believe it speaks for itself.”
In an earlier interview with Saturday’s BBC Radio 5 Live Sport he expressed the hope that folks would accept his Christian faith.Â
“I feel 100% within the words that I wrote, even what I’ve just said now – it is a message of truth and love, and I hope people can understand that my faith is my faith, and I’ll stand by it for the remainder of my life,” he said.
The FA has been accused of double standards after it took no motion against Ipswich’s Muslim captain, Sam Morsy, after he refused to wear the rainbow armband.Â
Robert Jenrick, the shadow justice secretary, told The Telegraph: “This smacks of a two-tier response. Why is a Christian player being treated otherwise to a Muslim?”
Guehi’s father, John, commented on the controversy to the MailOnline: “I’m saying did he offend anyone? I do not think so. I do imagine in what the Bible says, Jesus loves everyone, and, in my view, Marc didn’t offend anyone with what he wrote.
“Jesus loved everyone due to this fact by saying ‘I like Jesus’ on his armband I actually don’t see what’s offensive and what the issue is.
“If you take a look at what the LGBT community are doing, they try to impose on others what they imagine in, it’s belief against belief, but at the top of the day everyone has the best to an opinion.”
Rangers icon and footballing pundit Ally McCoist defended Guehi and players who are not looking for to wear the rainbow band.Â
“The problem is not Marc Guehi saying ‘I like Jesus’. The problem is people having an issue with it. I mean, dear me, all he’s doing is expressing his feelings for Jesus. Are you actually getting upset about that, what’s the world coming to?” he told talkSPORT.
He added, “It’s about freedom of alternative. If they need to participate in it, great. If they don’t need to participate in it, then they don’t need to participate in it. I would not be holding a gun to anyone’s head. I actually would not hold it against anybody simply because they do not have the identical views and beliefs as I do or any individual else does.”
