A Liverpool FC fans' group said they were "disappointed and disgusted" after former Reds defender Dejan Lovren appeared to oppose Disney's public stance against a controversial US bill which many see as discriminatory.
The centre-back, now with Russian side Zenit, faced a backlash on social media after tweeting a photo to his 117,000 followers which showed him cancelling his Disney+ subscription. Although Lovren has not confirmed why he cancelled his subscription, many fans believe the reaction came from the Croatian international after Disney released a statement highlighting their support for LGBTQ+ rights.
The company's message of solidarity with the community came amid a US debate on Florida's so-called ‘Don’t Say Gay’ bill, which would ban teachers from discussing sexual orientation and gender issues with students in the classroom.
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Lovren, who made 131 appearances for the Anfield club between 2014 and 2020, did not elaborate on what had prompted the tweet but he did retweet conservative US commentator Candace Owens, who referred to "child groomers and pedophiles" as she shared Disney's statement.
Paul Amann, founder of Liverpool FC's LGBTQ+ supporters group Kop Outs, told the ECHO the group was "pretty disappointed and disgusted" at the tweets.
"He needs to listen to us, hear our stories and experiences and then rethink. Lovren could be a role model, he needs to have a think before he follows and spouts populist clap trap. He would do well to have a word with real role models such as Jürgen Klopp and Jordan Henderson."
Sharing similar sentiments on social media, football fan @Mobyhaque1 wrote: “So glad Dejan Lovren is not associated with our club."
They added: "Just love and let others love who they want.”
@AnfieldEdition added: “He doesn't represent our club at all. Do not support him.”
