Cody Gakpo and Liverpool could be reprimanded by the Football Association for the “I belong to Jesus” T-shirt he revealed after scoring to begin their Premier League title party in earnest.
Gakpo lifted his shirt to reveal the religious slogan upon making it 3-1 in the new champions’ 5-1 thrashing of Tottenham Hotspur on Sunday.
The goal all but wrapped up the title for Arne Slot’s men – who only needed a draw at Anfield – with four games remaining.
Gakpo was shown a yellow card for removing his shirt but could face further action over the slogan on his sleeveless T-shirt.
LIVERPOOL ARE TAKING CARE OF BUSINESS! 🔥
Cody Gakpo puts it away 🫡 pic.twitter.com/N48lBbAPbv
— Sky Sports Premier League (@SkySportsPL) April 27, 2025
Gakpo’s goal celebration evoked memories of Brazilian forward Kaka, who revealed the same slogan under his AC Milan shirt when the Italian side beat Liverpool in the 2007 Champions League final in Athens.
Sunday’s display came almost five months after the FA was accused of creating a “two-tier mess” by twice reminding Crystal Palace captain and devout Christian Marc Guehi of its rules for writing “I love Jesus” and “Jesus loves you” on his rainbow armband during the annual tie-up between the Premier League and LGBTQ+ charity Stonewall.
That was after the FA did not contact Ipswich Town captain Sam Morsy, who is Muslim, for refusing to wear one at all.
FA kit regulations cover acts such as Guehi’s rather than Morsy’s and the England defender could have been banned for breaching them – especially after defiantly ignoring a reminder about the rules – but he instead escaped with a second such reminder.
Both he and Morsy were acting in accordance with their religious beliefs, as was Manchester United defender Noussair Mazraoui when he refused to wear a rainbow-themed jacket, forcing his club to scrap plans for their players to do so.
Neil O’Brien, the shadow education minister, wrote on X: “People criticised Sam Morsy for not wearing a rainbow armband on weekend. Club said he was a Muslim, that was the end of it. FA ‘declined to comment’.”
He added: “What a total two-tier mess.”
Robert Jenrick, the shadow justice secretary, told The Telegraph: “This smacks of a two-tier response. Why is a Christian player being treated differently to a Muslim?”
Matt Lucas, the openly gay comedian and Arsenal fan, also waded into the row, saying he did not find a rainbow armband with “Jesus loves you” written on it offensive but took issue with a captain refusing to wear one at all.
He wrote on X: “I have been verbally abused twice on the way to football matches so far this season. On both occasions I was minding my own business, head down, walking to the ground.
“I was called ‘a f—— q—- c—’ by one man and another told me that ‘our club doesn’t want disgusting gay fans’.
“If you’re a player and that offends you less than wearing a rainbow-coloured armband for a couple of matches, then maybe you’re part of the problem.”
Speaking about the row, Guehi told the BBC: “The message was just a message of truth and love and inclusivity to be honest.”
Stressing he did not think it “was harmful in any way”, he added: “I believe 100 per cent in the words that I wrote. I hope people can understand that my faith is my faith, and I’ll stand by it for the rest of my life.”
Guehi spoke out a day after his church-minister father, John, leapt to the defence of his “devout Christian” son.
He also cited the use by the FA of the national anthem, God Save the King, before matches and the hymn Abide with Me before the FA Cup final, and accused the LGBTQ+ community of “trying to impose on others what they believe in”.
The laws of the game forbid any player from having religious statements or slogans, with Law 4 of the International Football Association Board’s Laws of the Game stating: “Equipment must not have any political, religious or personal slogans, statements or images. Players must not reveal undergarments that show political, religious, personal slogans, statements or images, or advertising other than the manufacturer’s logo.
“For any offence the player and/or the team will be sanctioned by the competition organiser, national football association or by Fifa.”
The FA has been approached for comment.
Cody Gakpo and Liverpool could be reprimanded by the Football Association for the “I belong to Jesus” T-shirt he revealed after scoring to begin their Premier League title party in earnest.
Gakpo lifted his shirt to reveal the religious slogan upon making it 3-1 in the new champions’ 5-1 thrashing of Tottenham Hotspur on Sunday.
The goal all but wrapped up the title for Arne Slot’s men – who only needed a draw at Anfield – with four games remaining.
Gakpo was shown a yellow card for removing his shirt but could face further action over the slogan on his sleeveless T-shirt.
LIVERPOOL ARE TAKING CARE OF BUSINESS! 🔥
Cody Gakpo puts it away 🫡 pic.twitter.com/N48lBbAPbv
— Sky Sports Premier League (@SkySportsPL) April 27, 2025
Gakpo’s goal celebration evoked memories of Brazilian forward Kaka, who revealed the same slogan under his AC Milan shirt when the Italian side beat Liverpool in the 2007 Champions League final in Athens.
Sunday’s display came almost five months after the FA was accused of creating a “two-tier mess” by twice reminding Crystal Palace captain and devout Christian Marc Guehi of its rules for writing “I love Jesus” and “Jesus loves you” on his rainbow armband during the annual tie-up between the Premier League and LGBTQ+ charity Stonewall.
That was after the FA did not contact Ipswich Town captain Sam Morsy, who is Muslim, for refusing to wear one at all.
FA kit regulations cover acts such as Guehi’s rather than Morsy’s and the England defender could have been banned for breaching them – especially after defiantly ignoring a reminder about the rules – but he instead escaped with a second such reminder.
Both he and Morsy were acting in accordance with their religious beliefs, as was Manchester United defender Noussair Mazraoui when he refused to wear a rainbow-themed jacket, forcing his club to scrap plans for their players to do so.
Neil O’Brien, the shadow education minister, wrote on X: “People criticised Sam Morsy for not wearing a rainbow armband on weekend. Club said he was a Muslim, that was the end of it. FA ‘declined to comment’.”
He added: “What a total two-tier mess.”
Robert Jenrick, the shadow justice secretary, told The Telegraph: “This smacks of a two-tier response. Why is a Christian player being treated differently to a Muslim?”
Matt Lucas, the openly gay comedian and Arsenal fan, also waded into the row, saying he did not find a rainbow armband with “Jesus loves you” written on it offensive but took issue with a captain refusing to wear one at all.
He wrote on X: “I have been verbally abused twice on the way to football matches so far this season. On both occasions I was minding my own business, head down, walking to the ground.
“I was called ‘a f—— q—- c—’ by one man and another told me that ‘our club doesn’t want disgusting gay fans’.
“If you’re a player and that offends you less than wearing a rainbow-coloured armband for a couple of matches, then maybe you’re part of the problem.”
Speaking about the row, Guehi told the BBC: “The message was just a message of truth and love and inclusivity to be honest.”
Stressing he did not think it “was harmful in any way”, he added: “I believe 100 per cent in the words that I wrote. I hope people can understand that my faith is my faith, and I’ll stand by it for the rest of my life.”
Guehi spoke out a day after his church-minister father, John, leapt to the defence of his “devout Christian” son.
He also cited the use by the FA of the national anthem, God Save the King, before matches and the hymn Abide with Me before the FA Cup final, and accused the LGBTQ+ community of “trying to impose on others what they believe in”.
The laws of the game forbid any player from having religious statements or slogans, with Law 4 of the International Football Association Board’s Laws of the Game stating: “Equipment must not have any political, religious or personal slogans, statements or images. Players must not reveal undergarments that show political, religious, personal slogans, statements or images, or advertising other than the manufacturer’s logo.
“For any offence the player and/or the team will be sanctioned by the competition organiser, national football association or by Fifa.”
The FA has been approached for comment.
