Top clubs ‘battle to sign’ footballer who refused to wear LGBTQ+ armband
Orkun Kokcu refused to wear an LGBTQ+ rainbow armband back in 2022. (Getty)
Orkun Kokcu refused to wear an LGBTQ+ rainbow armband back in 2022. (Getty)
Liverpool and Man Utd are reportedly in a “battle to sign” Benfica midfielder Orkun Kokcu, who famously refused to wear a pro-LGBTQ+ armband.
In 2022, Kokcu chose not to wear the captain’s armband supporting the LGBTQ+ community because it apparently makes him feel “uncomfortable”.
He went on to state that his decision not to wear the armband was due to his religious beliefs.
Kokcu added: “That’s why I don’t feel comfortable wearing this captain’s armband. I can imagine some people are disappointed with this. That is absolutely not my intention, although I realise that I may not immediately be able to take away that feeling with these words. But I hope that my choice for religious reasons will also be respected.”
The midfielder is now being courted by Liverpool, Man Utd, Tottenham, Inter Milan and Galatasaray, Fenerbahce and Besiktas in his native Turkey. Liverpool are noted to be a favourite for the player, as reported by SPORTbible.
It’s reported that Benfica want €40 million (£34,541,400) for the 24-year-old who joined for around €25 million (£21,588,375) on a five-year contract.
OneLove armbands were used to promote diversity, inclusion and anti-discrimination. The armbands featured a heart design with multiple stripes in various colours.
England’s captain, Kane previously said he’s “honoured” to join his fellow national team captains in supporting the “important OneLove campaign” and stand in solidarity against discrimination.
Following Kokcu’s refusal to wear the armband, his teammate Gernot Trauner captained the team instead, agreeing to wear the inclusivity armband in the 3-1 win away victory over rivals Alkmaar.
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