By Andrew Warshaw
July 26 – Senegalese striker Papiss Cisse has patched up his differences with Newcastle United and has now agreed to wear the club’s Wonga logo despite his religious beliefs.
Cisse, a Muslim, pulled out of Newcastle’s pre-season tour after telling the club he was not prepared to advertise the loan shark company on his shirt.
But after a week of talks, agreement has been reached the 28-year-old was due to return to training with the first-team squad today, Friday.
Cisse is one of a number of Muslim players at Newcastle but was the only one to object to the club’s choice of shirt sponsor. He has been training on his own while his team-mates have been on tour in Portugal.
Last October, it was announced that the pay-day lender would take over as Newcastle’s sponsor from the forthcoming season for a reported £8 million a year. The deal met with widespread opposition, including from Newcastle Council Leader Nick Forbes who condemned the social consequences of pay-day lending on the local community.
Earlier this week Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby, leader of the world’s Anglican community, was reported as describing pay-day lenders such as Wonga as “morally wrong” and compared the industry to Old Testament usurers.
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