His word was expected. It arrived on Wednesday, three days after the controversy began. The Professional Football League has published a statement signed by Director General Arnaud Rouger to take stock of the annual day against homophobia, organized on May 13 and 14. This event was marked by the boycott of several players, including several Toulouse and a Nantes, and by, in the hours that followed, a questioning by some coaches of the relevance of this operation or its "timing".
"756 players were on the game sheets this weekend. We know that some players did not wear the jersey. This day is a day to highlight a cause that is important to us. It remains a very small minority, we know that it is difficult and that we take blows, "writes the DG. Without going into the controversy and responding to anyone, Arnaud Rougier recalled the different axes of his work. Communication with the general public through this type of initiative, the inclusion of the fight against homophobia in the statutes, and the "much more difficult" work of raising awareness in the field. "Going to clubs is a day, we've done 28 but it's endless. The players are renewing themselves we must train them constantly with our partner associations and members of the LFP. »
Soon a stadium ban in case of homophobic acts
On Sunday evening, Sports Minister Amélie Oudéa-Castéra called on clubs to sanction players who refuse to participate in this type of initiative. What Toulouse FC did not do, unlike FC Nantes. The Egyptian striker Mostafa Mohamed was sanctioned "financially but not sportingly" by his club which decided to donate the sum in question to the association "SOS Homophobie".
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The association Rouge Direct also published a statement on Wednesday. She welcomed the fact that Minister Amélie Oudéa-Castéra wants to "integrate homophobia into the grounds for judicial stadium bans" and "systematize the filing of complaints". Announcements that must be formalized in the day, according to L'Obs. On the other hand, she deplores the fact that the political and federal authorities do not push for the cessation of meetings in case of homophobic acts.