THE WORLD IS WATCHING
European stars pay tribute to George Floyd NFL made its REAL statement long ago Net family says enough is enough!
BERLIN — Four young soccer players in Germany’s Bundesliga addressed the death of George Floyd in the United States with protests against police brutality and calls for justice over the weekend.
England’s 20-year-old winger Jadon Sancho, 21-year-old Morocco right-back Achraf Hakimi and 22-year-old Marcus Thuram made statements on the field on Sunday, following the example set by Schalke’s American midfielder Weston McKennie, 21, the day before.
Sancho scored his first hat trick in Borussia Dortmund’s 6-1 victory at Paderborn with no fans present and removed his jersey after his first goal to reveal a T-shirt with the handwritten message “Justice for George Floyd” on the front.
“First professional hat trick,” Sancho said on Twitter. “A bittersweet moment personally as there are more important things going on in the world today that we must address and help make a change. We have to come together as one & fight for justice. We are stronger together!”
Sancho was given a yellow card for taking off his jersey, but it didn’t stop teammate Hakimi from lifting his shirt to reveal the same message after he grabbed Dortmund’s fourth goal in the 85th minute.
Floyd, a handcuffed black man, died
Monday after a white Minneapolis police officer, Derek Chauvin, pressed his knee on his neck for nearly nine minutes.
Earlier Sunday, Thuram took a knee after scoring in Borussia Monchengladbach’s 4-1 victory over Union Berlin. The Gladbach forward scored in the first half and then dropped his left knee to the ground and rested his right arm on his right thigh as he bowed his head in reflection. He spent five seconds in the position before getting up again to continue.
“No explanation needed,” Gladbach said on Twitter with a picture of Thuram kneeling.
Thuram, who also scored Gladbach’s third goal, 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 French World Cup winner Lilian Thuram, a prominent antiracism campaigner.
On Saturday, McKennie wore an armband with the handwritten message “Justice for George” around his left arm. McKennie later said on Twitter: “We have to stand up for what we believe in and I believe that it is time that we are heard!”