Monaco star Camara given four-match ban for taping over anti-homophobia badge

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AS Monaco midfielder Mohamed Camara has been handed a four-game suspension after covering up an anti-homophobia badge during a Ligue 1 match.

Camara, a Muslim, placed white tape over the campaign logo on his chest during the club's 4-0 win over Nantes in their final Ligue 1 game of the season.

The Mali international player also refused to stand in front of a banner before the match which included anti-discrimination messaging as part of International Day Against Homophobia, Biphobia, Interphobia, and Transphobia.

All Ligue 1 clubs wore the campaign logo on their kits on the final day of the season as part of an initiative by the LFP, the body that runs the top two tiers of French football.

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The French league enforces anti-discrimination campaigns, and Camara's action went against those efforts.

The 24-year-old cited "religious reasons" for his decision, with this move sparking reactions from figures including French sports minister Amélie Oudéa-Castéra.

Speaking to French radio station RTL, Oudéa-Castéra felt penalties should be handed to both the player and the club.

It is unacceptable behavior. I had the chance to tell the LFP what I thought about it and I think such behavior must be subject to the strongest sanctions against the player and the club which allowed it to happen.

Monaco chief executive Thiago Scuro previously commented about the situation.

As an organisation, we support the league. I called the CEO of the LFP, Arnaud Rouger, to apologise yesterday morning.

Mo has his religious reasons to do what he did. As you can imagine, it is a very sensitive topic to discuss as we have to respect religion.

And LFP has now confirmed Camara's ban, releasing a statement that read:

After hearing the player Mohamed Camara, and noting his refusal during the meeting to carry out one or more actions to raise awareness of the fight against homophobia, the Commission decided to impose a four-match suspension.

This was the fourth consecutive season that Ligue 1 clubs had been invited to use rainbow-colored numbers, armbands or patches on their shirts to support the LGBTQ movement.

In 2022, Paris Saint-Germain midfielder Idrissa Gueye refused to participate in a game requiring players to wear shirts with rainbow-colored numbers.

Last year, Nantes fined striker Mostafa Mohamed for similar reasons. The Egyptian again did not play in this year's final game.

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