Faith and Football: Cody Gakpo’s Message Sparks Debate
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During a recent Premier League match, Liverpool’s Cody Gakpo brought religion into the spotlight by unveiling a faith-based message, leading to widespread discussion about the role of personal beliefs in football.
Gakpo celebrated his goal against Tottenham Hotspur by displaying a shirt with the inscription, “I belong to Jesus”. This act resulted in a yellow card from the referee for taking off his jersey.
FIFA’s guidelines clearly prohibit players from showing political, religious, or personal slogans or images on their gear. Consequently, Gakpo is expected to receive a formal warning from the Football Association.
The regulations state, “Equipment must not have any political, religious or personal slogans, statements or images. Players must not reveal undergarments that show political, religious, personal slogans, statements or images, or advertising other than the manufacturer’s logo.” Violations can lead to sanctions by FIFA or national football bodies.
This isn’t an isolated occurrence. Christian athletes have faced similar penalties in the past. For instance, Marc Guehi from Crystal Palace received reminders after expressing his faith on a rainbow armband, which read “I love Jesus” and “Jesus loves you”.
Interestingly, Guehi’s case elicited claims of inconsistent enforcement, noting that Ipswich Town’s Sam Morsy, a Muslim player, faced no repercussions for opting out of wearing a rainbow armband.
The rules seem to prohibit actively promoting a religion or ideology, rather than abstaining from one. The exclusion of the LGBTQ rainbow flag from the list of banned religious, political, or ideological symbols remains a puzzling aspect for many.
This article was originally written by www.christiantoday.com
