Phil Neville speaks out after his US team is targeted by repeated homophobic chants
Phil Neville has spoken out against the homophobic chanting (Omar Vega/Getty Images)
Phil Neville has spoken out against the homophobic chanting (Omar Vega/Getty Images)
Former England international Phil Neville has condemned homophobic chants at a Leagues Cup match between Portland Timbers, where he is now head coach, and Mexican side Club América.
During the second-half of the match on Wednesday (6 August), Club América fans aimed anti-gay chants at the Portland players, despite a number of warnings issued over the loudspeaker system. Referee Guido Gonzales Jr had to halt the game at one point.
Speaking to the press after the match, former Manchester United midfielder and defender Neville, who has been in charge of the MLS side since November 2023, said: “What’s really important here is that we’ve played a football game tonight, which we’ve all enjoyed. It’s been between two good teams that have been really competitive.
“But we shouldn’t be talking about football tonight. We should be talking about discrimination on a football field. There’s no place for [that] whatsoever.”
Neville, who led the England Lionesses for three years from 2018, believed the referee had “handled the incident really well”, but added: “It’s unacceptable that my players were discriminated against. It’s unacceptable that there’s this discrimination, not just in a football stadium but in society.
“I thought the referee was absolutely outstanding in the way he communicated everything and I know we’ve got processes, I know we’ve got protocols, but for me, football does not matter. Football does not matter in these situations.
“There [were] four or five stoppages for discrimination, announcements throughout the game. If we’re going to be really serious about that, about what we are really here for, then something needs to be done because my players were subjected to discrimination tonight and that is totally unacceptable.
“I’ve got the utmost respect for Club América’, one of the biggest teams with the best supporters but discrimination is unacceptable in football, and I don’t really want to talk about football because this is the bigger issue tonight.”
Liga MX side Club América won the match at the Q2 Stadium in Austin, Texas, in a penalty shoot-out after the sides drew 1-1 after 90 minutes.
Recent research for anti-discrimination group Kick It Out revealed the number of incidents recorded during the 2024-2025 season were once again up on the previous year.
Drawn from reports across the professional game, grassroots and social media, the figures showed there were 1,398 reports, with a sharp rise in sexism, transphobia and faith-based abuse while racism remained the most-reported form of discrimination.
Last week, it was revealed that the English Premier League would no longer take part in the Rainbow Laces campaign after ending its partnership with LGBTQ+ charity Stonewall.
The annual campaign aimed to increase awareness of inclusion in sport, with players from all levels in different sports wearing rainbow-coloured laces to highlight equality and acceptance.
Football has been a huge supporter of the campaign over the years, with club captains also wearing rainbow armbands.
A study carried about for Stonewall to mark the tenth anniversary of the campaign showed that it had helped to improve attitudes, with 74 per cent of the 12 million fans who saw the campaign in 2022 saying they considered LGBTQ+ people to be part of the sporting community.
The Premier League will now create its own campaign, to be launched in February to coincide with LGBT+ History Month.
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