LGBT groups are suing three players and the Ligue 1 club
The French group “Bleus et Fiers”, which fights against homophobia in football, filed a complaint against three players and the Ligue 1 club on Wednesday.
The players and clubs concerned are Mohamed Camara and Monaco, Mostafa Mohamed and Nantes and Nabil Bentaleb and Lille. The complaint was based on “public provocation and hatred due to sexual orientation”.
The complaint concerns behavior during and after an anti-homophobia campaign in Ligue 1 on May 19.
Camara had previously been banned for four matches by the LFP for not supporting the French league’s campaign against homophobia. He hid the campaign logo on his shirt when he played for Monaco against Nantes in the final game of the season.
The 24-year-old also chose not to take part in a group photo in which the two teams stood behind a banner supporting the LGBT community.
The association “Bleus et Fiers” believes that the punishment imposed by the LFP is not severe enough. The Malian could receive a maximum ban of ten matches under French Football Federation regulations.
Monaco general manager Thiago Scuro said after the match that Camara was not taking part in the campaign for religious reasons.
The group also claimed that Mohamed refused to play the match to avoid wearing a campaign t-shirt for the second year in a row. Bentaleb was sued for avoiding taking a photo in front of the LFP’s anti-homophobia banner.
The complaint against the club was that it did not punish the players.
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