Le Mans FC: The owner steps in to defend Idrissa Gana Gueye

The arrival of Idrissa Gana Guèye in the group of shareholders of Le Mans FC is causing reactions due to the controversy linked to his refusal to wear a jersey bearing the colors of the rainbow in 2022. Faced with the criticism, the owner of the club, Pedro Oliveira, spoke out to defend the Senegalese midfielder and call for turning the page.

Le Mans FC continues to attract top personalities to its development project. After figures like Novak Djokovic, Thibaut Courtois, Felipe Massa and Kevin Magnussen, the Sarthe club welcomed two new investors a few weeks ago: Idrissa Gana Guèye and former Brazilian international Lucas Leiva.

While the arrival of the latter did not cause any particular controversy, that of the Senegalese player revived a debate dating back to 2022. At the time, the midfielder had refused to wear his team's jersey bearing the colors of the rainbow, as part of an awareness campaign and fight against homophobia in French football.

When questioned by "Le Maine Libre" about this controversy and the reactions sparked by the player's arrival in the ownership of Le Mans FC, Pedro Oliveira clearly showed his support for the Senegalese international.

"What happened four years ago specifically concerns Idrissa Gana Guèye and I don't think we need to go back over that," said the club owner, who claims to have gotten to know the player better in recent months.

Beyond this controversial episode, the club's leader prefers to focus on the Senegalese player's initiatives and commitment to youth development. He specifically praised the work done by the midfielder through his academy in Senegal, before expressing his satisfaction at having him as one of the club's investors.

Pedro Oliveira also downplayed the calls for a boycott attributed to a group whose authenticity had been questioned. According to him, this initiative was not based on any verified source. The Le Mans-based association Homogène had also expressed its incomprehension regarding this situation.

"It's unnecessary noise and I don't think we should waste energy on it," he added, believing that it was unnecessary to revive a four-year-old debate.

The owner of Le Mans FC clarified, however, that an initiative led by a genuinely identified association would have warranted discussion. "On the other hand, if the association had been legitimate, we would have engaged in conversation," he explained.

With this stance, Pedro Oliveira intends to refocus attention on Le Mans FC's sporting and economic project, rather than on a past controversy. The arrival of Idrissa Gana Gueye as a shareholder in the club is thus part of a development ambition to which the chairman affirms his full support.