For Yoann Lemaire, guest of “Club Info”, “it’s important to go see (the players), to talk about it with them and to explain why we must give visibility to the fight against homophobia” .
“We have to take this matter seriously”reacts on Sunday May 14 on franceinfo Yoann Lemaire, president of Foot ensemble, an association that acts against discrimination in the world of football. Several Ligue 1 and Ligue 2 players refused this weekend to wear the rainbow jersey against homophobia during this annual campaign.
Even if Yohann Lemaire admits that he “expected” that wearing the jersey poses problems “to a certain number of players”he believes he has “underestimated the problem”to start with “interpretations of religions”. “Religious conservatism is making a comeback”he assures, “I find it quite worrying (…) in 2023, I have to take theology courses to talk about it, even with young people. 5, 10 years ago, we simply talked about secularism , religion was not that important.”
Clubs must “commit even more”
For the president of Football together, “It’s important to go see (the players), to talk about it with them and to explain why we must give visibility to the fight against homophobia”. Because for Yohann Lemaire, there are other arguments that are not related to homophobia: “Some say they don’t like having a shirt and a cause imposed on them… others say it’s a subject they don’t know (…) it’s good to remind them that it’s important”. And then “it is necessary to relativize”he assures, “it’s a few players out of more than 800, there are clubs like Montpellier who have shown the example with a magnificent shirt”.
The clubs precisely, “even if they are already doing a lot on the pitch, they have to commit even more”, according to the president of Foot together. The Toulouse football club, which indicated that it had dismissed players who refused to wear the rainbow jersey, also wrote, in a press release, “respect the individual choices of its players” : “It’s a big disappointment”, reacts Yohann Lemaire. The president of Foot together even judges “scandalous, pathetic and ridiculous” the reaction of coach brestois Eric Roywho qualified as “catastrophic” the organization of this campaign against homophobia three days before the end of the season: “It harms the image of football, their club and their sponsor”for Yohann Lemaire.
“I am not for condemning” the players, he assures, “but it would take reparation: if they really are homophobic, they must say so and there must be legal action. If there are explanations, that players who come from other countries are under pressure ( …there must be a discussion with them.” But this must be done according to him, not at the instigation of the Professional Football League, but at club level.
