City affirm LGBTQ+ support over Mendy pro-Gueye message
ACTION AFTER GESTURE OF SUPPORT FOR COMPATRIOT
LEICESTER City have issued a statement after midfielder Papy Mendy made a social media post which appeared to show support for a controversial gesture by fellow Senegal international Idrissa Gueye.
Paris Saint-Germain midfielder Gueye is said to have refused to play in a match in which his team wore a rainbow symbol in support of LGBTQ+ rights.
In a post on his Instagram story, which has now been deleted, Mendy posted a picture of Gueye with the caption “De tout coeur avec toi’”, which roughly translates as “My heart is with you”.
Former Aston Villa and Everton midfielder Gueye was absent from
Saturday’s 4-0 win over Montpellier. PSG boss Mauricio Pochettino said only that Gueye missed the game for “personal reasons”, the BBC reported.
Homosexuality is illegal in Senegal and punishable by prison sentences of up to five years.
A Leicester City spokesman said: “The club has spoken with Papy and discussed the potential interpretation of the post, which has since been removed.
“It was not his intention to cause offence or to suggest he shares views that conflict with the club’s longestablished commitment to equality and inclusion.
“Leicester City Football Club stands firmly as an ally of the LGBTQ+ community and is proud of the work it has undertaken in recent years, aimed at helping to create a safe and inclusive environment and educating our people on the importance of allyship (sic).
“Working closely with our Foxes Pride supporter group and other equality stakeholders in the game and throughout our communities, great strides have been made in making Leicester City a football club for everyone.
“Our commitment to achieving that through ongoing education, action and allyship remains as strong as ever.”
Mendy is not the only Senegal player to appear to post a message of support for international team-mate Gueye, with Crystal Palace’s Cheikhou Kouyate and Watford’s Ismaila Sarr doing so as well.
The story comes in a week where English football saw an active professional come out for the first time in 32 year, with Blackpool’s 17-yearold forward Jake Daniels announcing he is gay.
On Daniels, City boss Brendan Rodgers said this week: “It’s a step forward for us, not just in football, but in society in general.
“For Jake, I’m sure he feels liberated and free to get on with his life how he wants to.
“You’ve seen the reaction to it from many people in this sport, football now is very open and has been developing over many years. For Jake and other young people who do want to come out, hopefully this can be the start of that.”
IN ‘RAINBOW’ BOYCOTT