Four Telstar players refuse to play against TOP Oss this Friday in specially designed rainbow shirts. These are club top scorer Zakaria Eddahchouri, Leonardo Rocha de Almeida, Mohammed Tahiri and Alae-Eddine Bouyaghlafen. It is unclear why they do not want to wear the shirt.
Telstar announced this morning that it would play in the specially designed shirts as part of Telstar All Together. “Football is for everyone regardless of cultural background, skin color, race, sexual preference or religion. Everyone should feel welcome in football. Telstar is committed to connecting and inclusion and is against social exclusion,” can be read on the website. the club.
The absence of Zakaria Eddahchouri in particular is a loss for trainer Mike Snoei. The player who came over from Koninklijke HFC is the top scorer of the White Lions this season with five goals. Eddahchouri and Snoei were not yet available for comment.
Telstar response
Telstar itself will respond in writing to the players’ decision. “Telstar also carries the message All Together this season, in the form of a special match shirt in the home match against TOP Oss. A message that for our club stands for connection and inclusion, in the broadest sense of these words. De Witte Leeuwen and Lionesses are the ambassadors of this message. This season, four of our Lions have indicated that they would prefer not to wear this uniform. Inclusion also includes tolerance and within that idea we respect the choice of our colleagues within our fine club,” says general director of Telstar Leon Annokkee know.
It is not the first time in professional football that players refuse to play during such actions. Last year, former Telstar player Redouan El Yaakoubi lost his captaincy at Excelsior after refusing to wear the OneLove band. And former Feyenoord player Orkun Kökcü also did not want to wear the same band.