Marc Guehi WON’T be punished for doubling down on his rainbow armband protest

Crystal Palace captain Marc Guehi will not face formal action from the Football Association despite wearing a custom rainbow armband for the second time.

The player and the club were reminded of the FA kit rules after he wore an armband reading 'I love Jesus' in Saturday's match against Newcastle.

He then wore one that said 'Jesus loves you' against Ipswich on Tuesday night, but the FA is still taking no action.

The club and player were again reminded of the kit rules, which state that the appearance on, or incorporation into, clothing, football boots or other equipment of any religious message is prohibited under Rule A4.

Captains wore rainbow armbands in the final two rounds of Premier League matches as part of the Rainbow Laces campaign, which provides support for the LGBTQ+ community in football and beyond.

After the match against the Tractor Boys, Palace boss Oliver Glasner gave a fervent defense of the England star.

Speaking to Amazon Prime, Glasner said: “I think we need to calm it down. Everyone knows Marc, everyone knows he is a great player, he is a great personality.

'He's a very humble man. He wore this. It's LGBT and everyone is now about integration, not discrimination, and so is Marc.

'I think we all have the same opinion. We are in sports and in sports we are always against discrimination and any form of abuse, and so is Marc.'

The match at Portman Road was also notable for Ipswich Town skipper Sam Morsy's decision to refuse to wear the rainbow armband altogether after doing so for the first time last weekend.

Despite the FA reprimanding Guehi for his decision to write on the armband, they chose not to take action against Morsy for not wearing it – which Guehi's father spoke out against.

John Guehi, a devout Christian and preacher, told MailOnline: 'I say: has he offended anyone? I don't think so. I really believe in what the Bible says: Jesus loves everyone, and in my opinion Marc did not offend anyone with what he wrote.

“Jesus loved everyone, so by saying 'I love Jesus' on his bracelet I really don't see what is offensive and what the problem is.

'If you look at what the LGBT community does, they try to impose what they believe on others. It's faith against faith, but ultimately everyone is entitled to an opinion.'

The FA's decision not to take formal action against Guehi comes amid reports that Manchester United have scrapped plans to wear an LGBT rainbow jacket after defender Noussair Mazraoui refused to wear it.

For the past two years, as part of the Premier League's Rainbow Laces campaign, United's players have worn a pride-themed shirt as a warm-up before matches, to show support for the LGBTQ+ community.

According to The Athletic, United planned to wear a rainbow jacket ahead of their match against Everton this year, but the Moroccan star declined.

The outlet claims that de Mazraoui, a devout Muslim, told his teammates he would not wear the jacket, citing his religious faith as reasoning.

The club then decided that no player would wear the tracksuit, meaning Mazraoui would not be publicly singled out. The decision was reportedly made hours before kick-off on Sunday.

In a statement to the outlet, United said: 'Manchester United welcomes fans from all backgrounds, including members of the LGBTQ+ community, and we are strongly committed to the principles of diversity and inclusion.

“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 views, especially when it comes to their beliefs, and these may sometimes differ from the club's position.'

On Wednesday morning, United's LGBT fan group Rainbow Devils responded, admitting they were 'disappointed' with the summer signing.

Meanwhile, The Athletic further claims that a source from Adidas – United's sponsor and who made the pre-match jacket – was disappointed by the situation. United's sponsorship with Adidas amounts to £900 million over ten years.

Mazraoui, 27, previously faced criticism from fans for his political views after showing support for Moroccan teammate Zakaria Aboukhlal, who had refused to take part in France's Ligue 1 rainbow campaign.

In response, Bayern Munich fans held up a banner that read: 'All colors are beautiful. In Toulouse, Munich and everywhere. Respect our values ​​Mazraoui!'