Marc Guehi's dad fumes at the FA for reprimanding England star in Rainbow armband row
Marc Guehi's father has jumped to defend his son after he was reprimanded by the FA for writing "I love Jesus" on his rainbow captain's armband - and claimed the Crystal Palace player didn't offend anyone
by Samuel Meade · The MirrorMarc Guehi's father has taken aim at the FA after his son was reprimanded for writing "I love Jesus" on his rainbow captain's armband.
The Crystal Palace centre-half was warned after breaching rules that ban any "political, religious or personal slogans, statements or images" on players armbands. He wrote the words on his armband when the Eagles played Newcastle just days ago, leading to the FA to speak to the player. Guehi was back in action on Tuesday night, when Palace faced Ipswich, and he wrote another message - which appeared to say 'Jesus loves you' - on his armband.
The top flight has just rolled out its Rainbow Laces campaign and Guehi, despite writing on his armband, was among the 19 skippers to wear the rainbow armband. Ipswich's Sam Morsy, a practicing Muslim, chose not to and cited his religious faith as the reason behind his decision.
Guehi's father, a church minister father, has accused the FA of promoting double standards after the Ipswich player was not punished.
He told the Daily Mail: "I am saying did he offend anyone? I don't think so. I do believe in what the Bible says, Jesus loves everyone, and, in my opinion, Marc did not offend anyone with what he wrote. Jesus loved everyone therefore by saying 'I love Jesus' on his armband I really don't see what is offensive and what the problem is.
"If you look at what the LGBT community are doing, they are trying to impose on others what they believe in, it's belief against belief, but at the end of the day everyone has the right to an opinion.
"But if that opinion's aim is to offend you then there is a problem but if my opinion is just to express what I feel then I think that is fine and I don't think what Marc wrote on that armband is offensive. He is talking about him, he loves Jesus and like I said he didn't refuse to wear that armband, like Morsy, people should pay more attention to the person who refused to wear it."
Guehi's father claimed his son did the right thing by choosing to wear the rainbow armband and writing his words on it were his way of trying to "balance the message". He went on to claim he "doesn't see what is offensive."
Ipswich's skipper will not be punished after refusing to wear the armband, which is part of the campaign supporting the LGBTQ+ community, because of his religious beliefs. His refusal was not a rule breach, but Guehi altering the arm band is recorded as a rule breach.
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