Make a statement /Hat-trick hero Sancho joins ‘Justice for George Floyd’ protests
Jadon Sancho revealed a “Justice for George Floyd” t-shirt on the way to his first ever hattrick as Borussia Dortmund demolished Paderborn 6-1 in the Bundesliga yesterday.
There are protests across America and further afield over the death of Mr Floyd after a white police officer held him down by pressing a knee into his neck last Monday in Minneapolis.
Borussia Monchengladbach’s Marcus Thuram took a knee in tribute to the Black Lives Matter movement after scoring his side’s second goal in their 4-1 win against Union Berlin yesterday, with Sancho making a statement of his own later in the day.
“Justice for George Floyd” was scrawled on the t-shirt revealed by the England international after he tapped in his first goal against Paderborn, with the 20-year-old going on to score a further two in the rout.
The former Manchester City man was handed his first start since the Bundesliga’s resumption, but Dortmund struggled in the first half without the injured Erling Haaland.
Thorgan Hazard went on to kick off a second-half goal frenzy, with Sancho adding a quickfire second before former Brighton defender Uwe Hunemeier pulled one back from the penalty spot.
Hopes of a comeback were short-lived as Sancho scored a superb second, before rounding off victory following goals by Achraf Hakimi – who also displayed a “Justice for George Floyd” message – and Marcel Schmelzer.
It was an impressive response to the disappointment of Tuesday’s 1-0 home loss to leaders Bayern Munich, with Dortmund remaining seven points behind Bayern in second place.
Meanwhile, the 22-yearold Thuram, who also scored Borussia Monchengladbach’s third goal against Union Berlin, made no comment on his gesture after the game. “He got to the point,” Gladbach coach Marco Rose said. “He made a sign against racism, one we all completely support of course.
“I believe that everyone fully supports it, that everyone has the same thoughts he does.”
Thuram is the son of the French World Cup winner Lilian Thuram, an outspoken anti-racism campaigner.