UPDATE (June 4): Following Jadon Sancho's midweek hattrick that resulted in a touching tribute to the late George Floyd, FIFA president Gianni Infantino has said that the players who protested over the death of Floyd on the football pitch deserve praise and not punishment.
In the FIFA rulebook, Law 4 Section 5 states that players are not allowed to have statements, slogans or images on their kit or other equipment which could be seen as political. However, in response to Sancho's goal celebration, FIFA have urged governing bodies applying those laws to "use common sense and have in consideration the context surrounding the events."
Infantino said: "For the avoidence of doubt, in a FIFA competition, the recent demonstrations of players in Bundesliga matches would deserve an applause and not a punishment. We all must say no to racism and any form of discrimination. We must say no to violence. Any form of violence."
Original story below.
England and Borussia Dortmund star Jadon Sancho was given a yellow card for revealing a 'Justice For George Floyd' message on his undershirt during a goal celebration against Paderborn.
The 20-year-old footballer from London scored a hattrick last night and, following his second goal, removed his jersey to reveal the message.
George Floyd died after a police officer kneeled on his neck following his arrest in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Derek Chauvin—a white police officer—has been charged with third-degree murder after videos surfaced of the 44-year-old persisting with his kneeling after Mr Floyd pleaded, "I can't breathe".
Floyd's death has caused global uproar, with sports stars from all across the world standing up to the injustices against black people. LeBron James, Serena Williams, Kylian Mbappe and Anthony Joshua are among those that have shared their passion on the matter from their global platforms, with Sancho's tribute being the latest to spark debate.
Unfortunately, Sancho was booked for his goal celebration, which has been seen as a disgust in itself. The Bundesliga have commented on the caution where they stated that Bundesliga rules stipulate that the removal of jerseys during goal celebrations should be met with a yellow card, while all political messages are also banned. The question marks continue to hover over what specific rule Sancho was punished for breaking, but his actions should be praised rather than punished for shining a light on the ill-treatment of black people at the hands of the police.
Sancho spoke out on his performance on Twitter, saying: "A bittersweet moment personally, as there are many 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 and fight for justice. We are stronger together."
