'%20x='0'%20y='0'%20height='100%25'%20width='100%25'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20xlink%3Ahref='data:image/jpg;base64,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'%3E%3C/image%3E%3C/svg%3E)
PSG midfielder Idrissa Gueye came under fire after pulling out of the team to face Montpellier in Ligue 1 last month, allegedly to avoid wearing the rainbow flag. Following the incident, the 32-year-old has received support from his country, with Senegalese journalist Bacary Cisse leaping to his defense.
Commenting on Gueye's absence from the team, PSG manager Mauricio Pochettino said that the player "had to leave the team sheet for personal reasons." He confirmed that the player wasn't injured.
French outlet RMC Sport later went on to claim that the Senegalese snubbed the game to avoid wearing a rainbow flag - the symbol of the LGBTQ+ community and movement.
It is worth noting that on the weekend of the Montpellier clash, as part of 'World Day Against Homophobia', all games in the Ligue 1 saw rainbow flags on players' shirt numbers and captains' armbands.
Gueye's action attracted criticism from many, but Senegalese journalist Cisse insists the player has the support of his people back home.
"It's a misunderstanding," Cisse said, as per RMC Sport.
"We must not forget that Gueye was born in Senegal. He grew up there, he was educated there. We respect everything that others do, but we don't follow them in their culture. Culturally, no one would have understood if he had done anything other than what he did. He's not the only one.
"Today, Gueye has the total support of all Senegalese, of all Africans. In this case, we must not stigmatize the boy. He cannot justify this gesture. He was perceived as a hero in Senegal, of course. For us, Gueye is a hero.
Cisse concluded by saying:
"If Gueye had done otherwise, what would we have said? We would have been much more shocked."
Idrissa Gueye's numbers for PSG last season
Barring the rainbow flag controversy, Idrissa Gueye's outing with PSG last season was impressive. The Senegalese made 33 appearances for the Ligue 1 giants across all competitions, recording four goals and one assist to his name.
The midfielder also finished the campaign with the Ligue 1 title, his second triumph since joining the Parisians in the summer of 2019. He'll be hoping to continue from where he left off last term when the new season kicks off this summer.
