RUBEN AMORIM has revealed Manchester United players' decision not to wear rainbow-themed jackets.
Red Devils stars were expected to wear the jackets as part of the Premier League's Rainbow Laces campaign in support of the LGBTQ+ community ahead of their 3-0 win over Everton.
However, the team decided not to wear them after Noussair Mazraoui – a devout Muslim – refused to do so, citing religious beliefs.
Now, a week later, manager Amorim has spoken about the three key factors that played a role in the decision and insisted there is “no doubt” about the club's values.
He said: “It was a group decision by the players, as it should be. There are three difficult things to deal with.
“On the one hand, it is the club values. There is no doubt about what this club believes in and fights for.
“Then you have religion, which you have to respect. Our values are to respect other opinions.
“And the third thing is the group thing. 'I won't leave Nous alone, we are a team'. The majority of the players believe in one thing, but they saw one man alone and said let's be together.”
“They are three things that we have to manage and respect, and it is a difficult problem to tackle. I think we did it in a good way.
“We must respect everything, but we must also respect the religion of Nous and its culture.”
When asked if this could be a potential problem in the future, he said: 'I don't know if Nous is going to change his religion and beliefs.
“We will discuss it at that time if it comes to that, but it is a very difficult decision.”
A statement from Man Utd this week said the club “welcomes fans from all backgrounds, including members of the LGBTQ+ community… We are strongly committed to the principles of diversity and inclusivity”.
It added: “We demonstrate these principles through a range of activities, including support for our Rainbow Devils supporters club, and campaigns to celebrate our LGBTQ+ fans and fight all forms of discrimination.
“Players have the right to have their own individual opinions, especially when it comes to their beliefs. These may sometimes differ from the club's position.”
However, the club's LGBTQ+ fan group, Rainbow Devils, said they were “disappointed” by the decision.
A statement said: “This was clearly a huge disappointment for Rainbow Devils, but also for everyone who had worked hard at the club to make this event a reality.
“We are aware who the player involved is, but we feel it is not our role to single him out and risk spoiling all the other positive things that the majority of the club have done.
“We respect this player's right to have his own opinion but are also disappointed that he put the rest of the squad in a position where they felt they could not carry their coats.
“We are also concerned about the negative effect this incident could have on players at the club who are struggling with their sexuality.”
Captain Bruno Fernandes continued to wear the rainbow armband against Everton and the defeat to Arsenal in midweek.
Ipswich and Crystal Palace captains Sam Morsy and Marc Guehi also caused controversy during last weekend's campaign.
Morsy, like Mazraoui, cited his religious beliefs after twice refusing to wear a rainbow-colored bracelet.
Ipswich said they “respect the decision” but were “committed to being a fully inclusive club”.
Meanwhile, Guehi, a devout Christian, did not refuse to wear the rainbow bracelet but twice wrote religious messages on it, again citing religious beliefs.
The FA spoke to Guehi and his club to remind them of the use of religious messages, but did not go further.
Speaking to Sky Sports about the act, Guehi explained: “I think the message was quite clear to be honest.
“It's also a message of love and truth and a message of inclusivity, so it speaks for itself.”
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