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No punishment for Bundesliga players after George Floyd tributes

Borussia Dortmund's Jadon Sancho and Achraf Hakimi and Schalke's Weston McKennie will not be pu...



No punishment for Bundesliga p...
Sport

No punishment for Bundesliga players after George Floyd tributes

Borussia Dortmund's Jadon Sancho and Achraf Hakimi and Schalke's Weston McKennie will not be punished for their George Floyd tributes in the Bundesliga.

Sancho and Hakimi both revealed the message 'Justice for George Floyd' when they lifted their team shirts while celebrating after scoring in the 6-1 win against Paderborn at the weekend.

McKennie wore an armband with a similar message during his match with Schalke against Werder Bremen.

The players were paying tribute to black US citizen, Floyd, who died from "asphyxiation from sustained pressure" after white policer office, Derek Chauvin, knelt on the back of his neck for several minutes.

Normally such displays on players' kits would be against FIFA rules but in a statement released this afternoon the German Football Association (DFB) said no proceedings would take place against the four players "because of their solidarity and anti-racism statements".

It continues: "The panel also intends to maintain this line in the event of renewed anti-racism campaigns to mark the violent death of George Floyd on the coming match days."

The FIFA rule comes under law 4 regarding player equipment which reads:

"Players must not reveal undergarments that show political, religious, personal slogans, statements or images, or advertising other than the manufacturer's logo.

"For any offence the player and/or the team will be sanctioned by the competition organiser, national football association or to be justified by FIFA."

However, the FIFA president Gianni Infantino sent out a message to the German league that world football's governing body would look upon these incidents differently.

"For the avoidance of doubt, in a FIFA competition the recent demonstrations of players in Bundesliga matches would deserve an applause and not a punishment," said Infantino in a statement released on Tuesday.

The FA in England have also stated their position on the matter with the Premier League set to resume on 17 June.

"Where any behaviors or gestures on the pitch that may constitute a breach of the laws of the game have to be assessed, they would be reviewed on a case by case basis with a common sense approach and understanding of their context," the FA said in a statement when asked about players' tributes to Floyd.

"The power of football can break down barriers across communities and we remain deeply committed to removing all forms of discrimination from across the game we all love."

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Achraf Hakimi Borussia Dortmund Bundesliga FIFA Jadon Sancho Premier League Weston McKennie