At 33 and after 12 years at Liverpool, Jordan Henderson could hope for leniency in his choice for his future. But the former captain of the Reds got the finger in the eye. By accepting the offer of Al-Ettifaq, where he found a certain Steven Gerrard, the one who was still the soul of Liverpool caused a stir, for several reasons.
The English are already struggling to accept the departure of an international to an exotic championship, they who swear by the Premier League. This first aspect is not to be taken lightly, the choice of Henderson has been much discussed since his departure. But it is something else that generates the biggest controversy across the Channel. Jordan Henderson had personally invested in the fight against discrimination affecting the LGBTQ + community. As a result, seeing him go to a country where homosexuality is a crime is difficult to pass on to those he defended.
His explanations were expected, and they did not convince many people. “Money didn’t motivate me to come here. (…) If I wear the LGBT armband and it disrespects their religion, then that’s not good either. (…) Everyone should respect religion and culture. That’s why I think we’re all trying to fight here in terms of inclusion and stuff.”he said in particular in a long interview granted to The Athletic.
Henderson convinced no one
The reactions were quick and the English editorial writers are having a field day this Wednesday morning. “Jordan Henderson’s explanation of his move to Saudi Arabia may be intended to convince him himself, but it is unlikely to convince anyone else”can we read on Skysports. “The impression left is that of a man who cannot be accused of lying to anyone, except perhaps to himself. If a change is to occur in Saudi Arabia, whether in five years or in 50 years, he would no doubt like to see his action as a precursor to this change. We suspect that the reality is rather different. The most immediate change is that he normalized the act of a top England international moving to Saudi Arabia. He is the first but unlikely to be the last. That, it is feared, is his true legacy here. »
THE DailyMail hit even harder. “Jordan, did you really need to destroy your reputation for a few more millions? Henderson’s attempt to justify his Saudi decision is tortuous and contradictory nonsense.. The tabloid does not hesitate to republish old statements by Henderson where he strongly condemns the discrimination suffered by the LGBTQ + community. Far from the lukewarmness displayed in his interview as a new player in the Saudi championship. Henderson did not convince many people with his explanations, and even less Amnesty International or various associations which fight for LGBTQ + rights, which also reacted strongly.
