Matic receives ban for covering anti-homophobia sign

Lyon midfielder Nemanja Matic has been handed a two-match ban after covering an anti-homophobia message on his shirt with tape.

The Serb, 36, concealed an anti-homophobia display on his sleeve during Lyon's 2-0 win over Angers on 17 May.

The anti-homophobia message is part of a Ligue 1 campaign which is now in its fifth year. Typically, players are asked to wear rainbow-coloured symbols while banners are also displayed in stadiums.

However, former Manchester United and Chelsea midfielder Matic and Le Havre striker Ahmed Hassan, 32, both covered the messages on their sleeves with tape.

Ligue 1 issued the pair with two-match bans and a further two matches suspended.

Matic's contract with Lyon expires at the end of June and he is yet to agree new terms with the French club.

The annual awareness campaign has been met with resistance in recent years, with some players citing religious beliefs for choosing not to take part.

Nantes and Egypt forward Mostafa Mohamed, 27, withdrew from his side's crunch relegation-decider against Montpellier on the final day of the season.

"I believe in mutual respect - the respect we owe others but also the respect we owe to ourselves and our beliefs. For me, there are deep-rooted values linked to my background and my beliefs that make my participation in this initiative difficult," Nantes' Mohamed said on Instagram before the match.

Last season, the then-Monaco midfielder Mohamed Camara, 25, was banned for four matches for taping over an anti-homophobia logo on his shirt.

Some Toulouse players missed a match in 2023 with the club saying they had "expressed their disagreement with the association of their image with the rainbow colours representing the LGBT movement".