Andre Ayew In Trouble Over Jersey Protest

Ghana midfielder Andre Ayew is facing scathing criticism in the French media over a tribute he paid to a team-mate arrested for rape. Ayew and his Marseille team-mates as well as manager Didier Deschamps have been accused of committing a serious misjudgment.

Brandão, the Marseille striker was detained by police last Tuesday and held for two nights before being conditionally released following an allegation of rape made by a 23-year-old woman.

The striker, who maintains his innocence, has been allowed to return to his native Brazil as he awaits a possible trial, but the way that some of his team-mates chose to express their support for him over the weekend has drawn widespread criticism.

The winger André Ayew and the midfielder Stéphane Mbia, ran to the travelling fans and held aloft a jersey bearing the name Brandão when they scored their opening goal in Friday’s game. Later in the match some of the Marseille substitutes waved the same jersey into TV cameras.

Given the seriousness of the allegation against Brandão such displays were denounced as crass and there was surprise when Deschamps revealed that he had known his players were planning the controversial celebration.

“Yes, I was aware of it but I didn’t forbid it,” he told La Provence newspaper. “It was meant well. Brandão is one of ours. It was just a nod to him, don’t read too much into the idea.”

The Marseille president, Jean-Claude Dassier, publicly berated Deschamps for allowing the display to go ahead.

When told by La Provence that most fans were shocked by the players’ celebration, Dassier replied: “And with good reason. I was not informed about it, I would have stopped it. I understand the need to try to comfort a team-mate but a bit of tact would have been welcome.

“Frankly it was too much, a mistake. If Didier knew about it he should have told me because I would have made sure good sense prevailed. Because of their clumsiness this issue has become as important as our win.” Ayew and his team-mates are remaining silent over the criticism.