The Brazilian newcomer of the Moscow football club Lokomotiv Pedrinho was forbidden to be called by his own name. The club's management, as the midfielder himself said , explained to him that the name Pedrinho in Russia would be perceived "not very" as "like gay, blue."
On the eve of the match between Lokomotiv and Krasnodar took place in Moscow. Right during the broadcast, Match TV commentator Sergey Durasov told a colleague that the club asks not to name the football player Pedrinho, but to say his name as it is written on his form – Pedro Gabriel:
“During the interview break, Pedrinho was there. And this is the last time that I personally – I hope Sasha, you too – call Pedrinho as Pedrinho. Because they asked at the club. They say that this initiative even came from some players: let's have Pedro in our team, let's not have Pedrinho in our team. Therefore, you and I also now turn to the 29th number of Lokomotiv according to the passport or as it is written on its back.
After the match, journalists asked the footballer himself about this. He spoke about a direct ban on the part of the leadership:
“I wanted 'Pedrinho' on the shirt, but they said it wasn't great. Then they wrote "Pedro Gabriel". [The management explained] that it's kind of gay, blue. So they decided not to use it."
The player's full name is Pedro Gabriel Pereira López, however, Brazilian players (because their names are very long) often take nicknames and they are written on the back of their shirts. For example, the real name of the legendary Pele is Edson Arantes do Nascimento.
The Brazilian Pedrinho moved to Lokomotiv quite recently – from the Brazilian Red Bull Bragantino. It was bought for 5 million euros.