MOSCOW, RUSSIA—A Russian priest called the on-going World Cup Games a “homosexual abomination” because the brightly colored players’ boots formed a “gay rainbow.” Wearing pink or blue shoes, “the players might as well wear women’s panties or a bra,” according to Alexander Shumsky on the Christian website Russian People’s Line.

Russia, which was eliminated in the first round of playing, has an obvious supporter in Shumsky, who, according to the Moscow Times, continued his rant by adding, “The liberal ideology of globalism clearly wants to oppose Christianity with football. I’m sure of it. Therefore I am glad that the Russian players have failed and, by the grace of God, no longer participate in this homosexual abomination.”

It has been a year since Russian president Vladimir Putin signed anti-gay legislation into law.