Ipswich issue statement regarding Sam Morsy’s reason to not wear Rainbow armband

Ipswich Town issue a statement regarding Sam Morsy’s reason to not wear Rainbow armband, the only captain to do so at the weekend.

Morsy chose not to wear a rainbow armband during his side’s defeat to Nottingham Forest on Saturday due to his religious beliefs.

The 33-year-old midfielder had been the only captain in the Premier League not wearing a rainbow armband across Rainbow Laces weekend, an initiative run which is by the English top flight in partnership with LGBTQ+ charity Stonewall to promote equality, diversity and LGBTQ+ acceptance.

Sam Morsy, who has made 9 appearances for Eygpt, is a practising Muslim, and now his club Ipswich said they respected their midfielder’s decision.

Ipswich Town captain Sam Morsy chose not to wear a rainbow armband during Saturday’s defeat to Nottingham Forest due to his religious beliefs.

The 33-year-old midfielder was the only captain in the Premier League not wearing a rainbow armband across Rainbow Laces weekend, an… pic.twitter.com/936HX7mVu9

— The Athletic | Football (@TheAthleticFC) December 2, 2024

An Ipswich Town spokesperson said to media outlets on Monday (2nd December): “Ipswich Town Football Club is committed to being a fully inclusive club that welcomes everyone. We proudly support the Premier League’s Rainbow Laces campaign and stand with the LGBTQ+ community in promoting equality and acceptance.

“During this year’s campaign, members of the club’s men’s and women’s first-teams visited our foundation’s weekly LGBTQ+ football session, while the club also made a joint pledge of solidarity and inclusivity alongside Nottingham Forest ahead of Saturday’s game.

“A range of further initiatives are planned around Tuesday’s home game with Crystal Palace, including a takeover of the stadium’s big screen in the moments prior to kick-off.

“At the same time, we respect the decision of our captain Sam Morsy, who has chosen not to wear the rainbow captain’s armband, due to his religious beliefs. We will continue to grow an environment where all are valued and respected, both on and off the pitch.”

💙 To mark Stonewall’s Rainbow Laces campaign, we spoke to Kelvin, a participant of our LGBTQ+ Football sessions.

Kelvin discussed the impact of the sessions, and the importance of the Rainbow Laces campaign in promoting inclusivity in football.@PLCommunities | #RainbowLaces pic.twitter.com/pZcqAykibp

— Ipswich Town Foundation (@ITFCFoundation) November 29, 2024

Morsy spoke about the importance of his faith in 2023, saying to the Professional Footballers’ Association (PFA):

“First and foremost, it is a moral accomplishment for how you want to act and how you want to behave. Football can be a high-level stress environment which brings its own pressures, such as to play and perform well. My faith gives me balance. I see a lot of times, especially with young players where you end up over consuming yourself and fear pops in. Faith gives you a way out of that in terms of seeing the bigger picture. Yes, football is important but in the grand scale of things, there are a lot more important things and having faith keeps you measured, down to earth, and your feet on the ground.”

On if he had turned to his faith/beliefs in a particularly difficult time in his career: “Many times, to be honest. Both, personally and professionally with family, kids and different parts of my career. Your faith is always there. Probably more so personally. I think professionally with the right guidance and trying to be a good Muslim, good things will happen for you.”

On his earliest memory of Ramadan growing up: “Probably when I was a kid. My dad would take us to the Mosque on Fridays for prayers and just seeing as a child your dad fasting, the discipline, breaking fast and eating together, doing Suhoor and seeing the whole community coming together. It’s a beautiful thing really to see people come together to better themselves. That is what Ramadan is there for, to bring us closer to the creator and help us be better people. It’s an amazing month and one I look forward to every year.”

On what would be the one thing he could tell non-Muslim fans to help them understand Ramadan and the religion a bit better: “Fasting has become a lot more popular and people are actually seeing the benefits of fasting, not just the physical but the mental clarity and putting things into perspective. When your fasting, your anger, your ego, all goes out the window as you are in submission. I encourage people to try really, and you will see for a lot of Muslims it’s the most peaceful month of the year. Ramadan is beautiful, it is challenging but it’s not there to overexert you and it something that you can do. Sometimes people look at it as a massive hurdle to do it, but if your intentions are clear, you can do it.”

On Ramadan now falling during the season, how does he intend to manage his fasts around his training and games programme: “I’ve been lucky enough that my last few managers have been very accepting. We have a really good support team at Ipswich. Last year, the medical team were very forthcoming and wanting to see how they could help me and would go far and beyond to support. I’ve worked with different nutritionists over the years who have a really good understanding of what your body needs during the month. Sometimes you have the best intentions, but we are all human and may not be able to keep some fasts for whatever reason. That is ok, but just make sure you make up the missed fasts.”