Manchester United, Real Madrid, Barcelona Reportedly Among Shirts Banned by Isis

Football shirts manufactured by Nike and Adidas, including those of Manchester United, Real Madrid and Barcelona, have been banned by Islamic State in the Al-Furat province in Iraq.

As reported by Richard Wheatstone of the Daily Mirror, Isis' Hisba police have made the ruling, and any breach of it means a person could receive 80 lashes as punishment.

It means no replica jerseys can be worn of any of the aforementioned sides, as well as the likes of Manchester City, Chelsea and AC Milan. National team strips worn by England, France, Germany and the United States are also prohibited.

In the report, it’s noted MEMRI Jihad and Terrorism Threat Monitor, who keep tabs on extremist groups, have stated that bulletins have been issued to make locals aware of the ban on the jerseys.

Additionally, it’s been reported that three men were publicly flogged for playing football in Mosul, per Iraqi News (h/t Bethan McKernan of The Independent). Isis members are said to have ripped up a Barcelona shirt worn by one of the men, which had Lionel Messi’s name printed on the back.

McKernan added that according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, Isis consider the principles of the sport at odds with Islam, as it requires a referee.

According to Wheatstone, as an alternative, a “Qisas” system has been developed that encourages players to “claim compensation or seek revenge against opponents,” with the standard rules implemented by FIFA deemed “a violation of Allah's command and the Sunnah.”