England international Marc Guehi will avoid potential disciplinary action from the Football Association after writing a message on his captain’s armband during Crystal Palace’s 1-1 draw with Newcastle on Saturday. Captains of every Premier League club wore special rainbow-coloured armbands adorned with the branding of Stonewall’s Rainbow Laces campaign, in support of the LGBTQ+ community.
Ipswich Town skipper Sam Morsy recently came under fire for refusing to wear the armband, prompting the club to issue a statement in the aftermath. However, Guehi could now face retrospective punishment after he wrote “I love Jesus” on his armband during the weekend fixture.
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Guehi to Avoid FA Punishment
The defender was at risk of a potential ban for his actions
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According Martyn Ziegler of The Times, Guehi will not face any punishment for having “I love Jesus” written on his armband during this weekend’s contest. Instead, the 24-year-old has been reminded that religious messages are in fact prohibited in order to avoid a similar incident taking place in the future.
The fact that Guehi referenced his religious beliefs on an armband designed to promote the LGBTQ+ community was considered a potential aggravating factor in the case against him. However, it appears as though the FA have opted against pressing forward with any ban or fine for the player that would have aligned with similar rule breaches across Europe in recent months.
Why Guehi Could’ve Faced FA Ban
The FA states that the use of any religious slogan is prohibited
Crystal Palace defender Marc Guehi in action
Prior to the latest update, a report from ESPN claimed Guehi could’ve faced an FA charge for his actions, which appear to go against The Laws of the Game. While the laws permit “initiative slogans/emblems promoting the game of football, respect and integrity,” they explicitly ban “political, religious or personal slogans, statements or images.”
Law 4 further states: “For any offence, the player and/or the team will be sanctioned by the competition organiser, national football association or by FIFA.” The fact that Guehi referenced his religious beliefs on an armband designed to promote the LGBTQ+ community is being considered a potential aggravating factor in the case against him.
Precedents of players falling foul of the same law include Turkish defender Merih Demiral, who was handed a two-match ban during Euro 2024 for using a ‘wolf-salute’ celebration during Turkey’s 2-1 victory over Austria. In another instance, French Under-16 international Enzo Sternal was omitted from youth team squads in 2023 after celebrating a goal by lifting his shirt to reveal a message reading “Allah is great.” The French FA reportedly felt uncomfortable with the incident, leading to his exclusion.
Jude Bellingham in action for England
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All statistics courtesy of Transfermarkt – accurate as of 03/12/2024.
