Homophobia: several matches suspended for the Monegasque Camara who had hidden the logo

Le Monégasque Mohamed Camara lors de la 34e journée de Ligue 1. MAXPPP – SPORTPIXPRESS

Après avoir créé la polémique en masquant le logo de lutte contre l’homophobie lors de la 34e journée de Ligue 1, le milieu de Monaco a été sanctionné de plusieurs matches de suspension, ce jeudi 30 mai.

Monegasque Mohamed Camara, who hid the logo against homophobia plastered on his jersey during the last day of Ligue 1, was suspended for four matches, the League announced Thursday evening professional football.

The Malian player, who could receive, according to the disciplinary scale of the French Football Federation, up to 10 matches of suspension, and who responded to his summons by videoconference from Monaco on Thursday, obtained a relatively lenient sanction.

Refusal of awareness-raising actions

Especially since the midfielder, who was offered awareness-raising actions in the fight against homophobia to obtain a more lenient sanction, refused them all before the commission.

🚨🚨| Mohamed Camara could be facing a 𝟭𝟬-𝗠𝗔𝗧𝗖𝗛 𝗦𝗨𝗦𝗣𝗘𝗡𝗦𝗜𝗢𝗡 by the LFP Disciplinary Committee. ⛔

The player covered the anti-homophobic logo on his Monaco shirt during the final Ligue 1 match. 🏳️‍🌈❌

[@lequipe] pic.twitter.com/03zgbwI5Yj

— CentreGoals. (@centregoals) May 30, 2024

"After hearing the player Mohamed Camara and taking note of his refusal during the session to carry out one or more awareness-raising actions in the fight against ;homophobia, the Commission decides to impose four matches of firm suspension on him", wrote the LFP in a press release.

Monaco will not appeal

The midfielder, who will be able to play two matches with the Mali national team in early June, will be suspended for the first four Ligue 1 matches next season, starting on August 16. "We take note of the decision of the League which we respect and we will not appeal this decision", reacted to the & rsquo;AFP Thiago Scuro, the general director of Monaco who dissociated himself from his player's gesture.

L’ASM, which had apologized to the LFP and mentioned possible internal sanctions, did not assist Camara before the commission.

As part of a campaign to combat homophobia led by the LFP on the occasion of the 34th and final day of Ligue 1 on May 19, Camara had stuck & quot;straps" on the logo against homophobia flocked on his chest and worn by all players, coaches and referees. Nor had he participated in the pre-match protocol photo where the two teams of Monaco and Nantes posed in front of the slogan symbolizing the fight against homophobia.

Conviction in France, support for Mali

"Such behavior must be subject to the strongest sanctions both against the player but also against the club which committed it let it happen", the Minister of Sports Amélie Oudéa-Castéra estimated the day after the match.

Mohamed Camara, on the other hand, received the support of Malian personalities and many compatriots on social networks, in the name of respect for personal and religious convictions. The Malian Football Federation itself assured the player of its support, "in the exercise of his freedom of expression and its corollary, (that) of not not express yourself".

For his part, Yoann Lemaire, from the ’association "Foot Ensemble" had demanded an exemplary sanction, hoping that she "is intelligent", by suggesting to the discipline to propose to Camara "awareness workshops at the Monaco training center". Which the player therefore refused to do.