Al-Ettifaq accused of greying out Jordan Henderson’s rainbow Liverpool armband in announcement video after sealing £12m deal for ex-Reds captain

Saudi Professional League aspect Al-Ettifaq has been accused by followers on social media of greying out Jordan Henderson’s rainbow captain’s armband of their announcement video. 

The previous Liverpool skipper formally joined Al-Ettifaq on Thursday in a £700,000-a-week move that makes him the best paid English participant of all time. 

The Saudi membership – which isn’t one of many 4 groups owned by the Kingdom’s sovereign wealth fund, PIF – not too long ago appointed Henderson’s previous Liverpool team-mate Steven Gerrard as supervisor in the beginning of this summer time’s switch window. 

However as they shared information of his arrival with a video announcement, which paid to the 33-year-old’s meteoric rise from Sunderland youth prospect to Anfield legend, on their social media channels, numerous customers seen a element in regards to the clip’s stylised edit. 

Followers took to Twitter to accuse the Saudi Arabian aspect of modifying a number of pictures within the video to decolourise the rainbow armbands worn by Henderson. 

Jordan Henderson (proper) has left Liverpool to hitch up with Steven Gerrard (left) at Al-Ettifaq 

Plenty of supporters on social media drew consideration to the greyed-out modifying of Henderson’s rainbow armband within the Saudi Arabian membership’s video asserting his switch

Some followers identified a possible connection between the video’s creative edit and the Kingdom’s anti-LGBTQ+ legal guidelines

In one of many footage used within the video, Henderson seems to be sporting one of many armbands worn by captains in help of the Premier League’s partnership with Stonewall’s Rainbow Laces marketing campaign, to reveal the league’s dedication to LGBTQ+ inclusion. 

Homosexuality is unlawful in Saudi Arabia and Henderson’s transfer to Al-Ettifaq has drawn a lot criticism from numerous followers, together with the Kop Outs supporters’ group.

In response to the video, one fan wrote: ‘It will seem that Ettifaq have made a stylistic option to gray out the color of most of Jordan Henderson’s captain armbands on this video. I’m certain it has nothing to do with a few of them that includes the rainbow LGBTQ+ flag although…’ 

One other appeared to mock: ‘“Aye pal simply flip his rainbow armband black & white with a large sq. for half the video, nobody will discover”’ 

A 3rd added: ‘Henderson’s saudi announcement vid. They’ve genuinely chosen to gray out the captains armband to keep away from any probability of a rainbow… Grim.’

Whereas one other merely put: ‘They really made the rainbow armbands black and white’. 

Plenty of different customers on social media claimed the armband had been ‘disguised’ by the video’s edit.  

Henderson has beforehand been a vocal supporter of LGBTQ+ rights, and has been recognised for his help, profitable a nomination for ‘Soccer Ally’ on the LGBT+ Awards in 2021 for his engagement with followers on the problem. 

Followers shared their ideas on Twitter within the wake of criticism of Henderson’s transfer to Saudi

Liverpool’s supporters’ board is the newest organisation to have voiced their concern over Henderson’s transfer to Saudi Arabia, saying upon the announcement of his departure from Merseyside that they had been ‘disapppointed by his choice and the damage and division it has created’. 

Henderson’s former team-mate Jamie Carragher additionally shared his ideas on the transfer, including that the midfielder ‘has a big problem to deal with’. 

‘I totally perceive that criticism and it’s justified,’ he wrote in his Telegraph column. ‘Jordan was heralded on the again of his talking out, so he has troublesome inquiries to reply, and the crucial response in direction of him can have a adverse influence shifting ahead for these communities who cherish help from high-profile figures.

‘When different footballers hear the criticism directed at him, they won’t say “I can’t go to Saudi”.

‘They are going to be instructed by their advisors to maintain their mouth shut in case they transfer there in future, thus avoiding accusations of hypocrisy.

‘That may equate to purchasing silence – a grave influence of sportswashing.’

The 33-year-old has been a vocal supporter of LGBTQ+ points and was nominated for ‘Soccer Ally’ on the LGBT+ Awards in 2021 (sporting the Premier League armband to boost consciousness for Stonewall’s Rainbow Laces marketing campaign in 2022)

Henderson has left Liverpool after 12 years, eight of which noticed him put on captain’s armband

Alongside the critique of Henderson’s move had been a wave of tributes shared by his former Liverpool team-mates, and supervisor Jurgen Klopp.  

Henderson’s switch to Saudi appears set to be adopted by Fabinho, who was unnoticed of Klopp’s pre-season journey to Singapore forward of a reported £40million transfer to Al-Ittihad. 

The Kingdom’s high-profile recruitment drive appears prone to proceed at tempo, however one participant eager to remain within the European high flight is Paris Saint-Germain’s Kylian Mbappe. 

The France captain is assumed to have snubbed a staggering £295m move to Al-Hilal.