England coach Gareth Southgate does not “understand” the booing aimed at midfielder Jordan Henderson on Friday at Wembley, criticized in particular by the LGBTQI community after joining Saudi Arabia this summer.
“I really do not understand. He is a player with 79 caps for England. His commitment and what he has brought to England is exceptional. His role on and off the field is phenomenally important,” Southgate said after the 1-0 friendly win over Australia.
The name of Henderson, named captain in place of Harry Kane, left to rest, was whistled by a few people before the match during the announcement of the team compositions. The boos were much more audible when he was substituted in the second half.
Part of the English public criticizes the former Liverpool captain for joining the Al-Ettifaq club this summer in the highly profitable Saudi Arabian championship, a country where homosexuals can be sentenced to corporal punishment, prison or even the death penalty, according to Amnesty International.
The LGBTQI community considers itself betrayed by a player whose past positions it had appreciated, whether it was the symbolic wearing of the rainbow armband or the declarations in favor of human rights before the World Cup at the end of 2022 in Qatar .
“I know why there were boos but it defies logic to me. I am incredibly impressed by the impeccable morality of everyone else in the country,” Southgate added at a press conference. “We play Italy on Tuesday (at Wembley in qualifying for Euro 2024, editor’s note). Come on, let’s get behind this team.”
The friendly match played on Friday in London was the first home match of the season for the England team, following a meeting in Poland against Ukraine in qualifying and a friendly against Scotland in Glasgow in September.