Arsenal could face scrutiny from football authorities after Gabriel Jesus publicly declared his Christian faith during a Premier League match on Tuesday.
Former Brazil star Kaka publicly supported the Arsenal striker, saying online “we belong to Jesus”, after Jesus revealed a faith-based message during the club’s 4 - 1 win over Aston Villa.
The incident took place when Gabriel Jesus scored Arsenal’s fourth goal and removed his shirt to reveal an undershirt reading ‘I belong to Jesus’. The gesture echoed a famous celebration by Kaka during the 2007 Champions League final.
The report said the celebration could have breached the Football Association’s Law four, which banned political, religious or personal slogans on player equipment. The regulation stated that players or teams “will be sanctioned” for any such offence, though previous cases suggested a reminder rather than punishment was likely.
Following the match, Jesus openly credited his Christian faith for sustaining him through injury. Speaking to Sky Sports, he said: “Jesus saved my life, from the beginning when I was born, but I didn’t know that.” He added that during his long recovery from a cruciate ligament injury, he realised “we are nothing without Jesus” and wanted to “glorify his name”.
Kaka responded to the celebration on Instagram, writing: “We belong to Jesus God, bless you bro.”
As previously reported by Premier Christian News, Jesus had been widely praised by Christian fans for his bold declaration of faith.
The striker had returned to action earlier in December after nearly a year sidelined and was expected to play a key role as Arsenal continued their title challenge.