Footballer Mohamed Camara gets four-match ban for hiding anti-homophobia logo
Monaco’s Mohamed Camara covered the LGBTQ+ bade and refused to take a picture with teammates to mark IDAHOBIT 2024. (Getty)
Monaco footballer Mohamed Camara has been given a four-match ban after he used tape to cover an anti-homophobia logo on his shirt.
The 24-year-old midfielder was playing against Nantes on the final day of France’s league season, but, unlike his teammates, the badge on his shirt, with the word “homophobie” – French for homophobia – with a red cross through it, was obscured.
Camara, a Mali international, also opted out of the photograph where plays stood behind a banner supporting the International Day Against Homophobia, Biphobia, Interphobia and Transphobia (IDAHOBIT).
In response, the Ligue de Football Professionnel (LFP) announced on Thursday (30 May) that the star would be banned for four games at the start of the next Ligue 1 – France’s top division – season.
The LFP added that the ban follows hearing about the player’s “refusal during the season to carry out one or more awareness-raising actions in the fight against homophobia”.
Monaco’s chief executive, Thiago Scuro, said that the club respected the decision and will not appeal.
“Our concern was, above all, to deal with this situation, to make our club’s position clear on the subject, and to explain to Mo (Camara) that his behaviour could be different,” Scuro added, according to AFP.
“Monaco supports the action of the league, the fight against discrimination, the action against homophobia, it is clear for us, it is also clear for Mo.”
Scuro previously said Camara didn’t take part in the campaign for religious reasons.
“It’s a very sensitive subject at all levels because we also have to respect all religions. But, as an organisation, we are very sad about this episode and we want to make it clear that we do not support this.”
However, the Malian Football Federation praised Camara for his actions, saying: “Players are citizens like any other, whose fundamental rights must be protected in all circumstances.”
All Ligue 1 clubs wore the campaign logo on their kits on the final day of the season.
