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ENGLAND INTERNATIONAL, JADON SANCHO DISPLAYS A ‘JUSTICE FOR GEORGE FLOYD’

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England international Jadon Sancho was given a yellow card after revealing a ‘Justice for George Floyd’ shirt while celebrating his goal for Borussia Dortmund against Paderborn on Sunday.

The winger scored a hat-trick in Dortmund’s Bundesliga clash and took his playing shirt off after his first goal to reveal a message supporting the ‘Black Lives Matter’ movement.

Referee Daniel Siebert then presented Sancho with a yellow card for taking his shirt off. 

Sancho took to Instagram after the game to explain his choice of goal celebration

The 20-year-old scored two more in the game to complete his hat-trick but chose not to reveal his message again as it could have risked a sending off. Team-mate Achraf Hakimi also scored in the 6-1 win before revealing the same message regarding Mr Floyd’s death. 

After the match, Sancho took to Instagram to comment on the celebration, saying: ‘Solid performance from the team!! Delighted to get my first career hat trick, 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. 

Dortmund team-mate Achraf Hakimi also scored in the game and revealed the same message

‘We shouldn’t fear speaking out for what’s right, we have to come together as one & fight for justice. We are stronger together!’

Former England striker and Match of the Day host Gary Lineker appeared to endorse Sancho’s celebration, saying in an Instagram post: ‘The wonderfully talented @sanchooo10 scores for @bvb09 and has a message to share’.  

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Sancho’s celebration comes just hours after Borussia Monchengladbach forward Marcus Thuram knelt down on one knee in support of the movement after scoring against Union Berlin. 

America’s McKennie (No. 2) wears an armband reading “Justice for George”

The 22-year-old striker is the son of former France international and World Cup winner Lillian Thuram, who has been an anti-racist activist and campaigner since his playing days at Monaco, Parma, Juventus and Barcelona. 

Under law 4 of FIFA’s Laws of the Game, footballers should ‘not reveal undergarments that show political, religious, personal slogans, statements or images, or advertising other than the manufacturer’s logo.’

‘The team of a player whose basic compulsory equipment has political, religious or personal slogans, statements or images will be sanctioned by the competition organiser or by FIFA.’

The two celebrations come as activists across the world have been calling for ‘justice’ over the death of Floyd, who had a knee pressed into his neck for more than eight minutes while being detained by a white police officer, and eventually died at the scene in Minneapolis on Monday. 

Over the weekend, protestors have marched in the streets of major cities across the world, including London, Manchester and Cardiff, calling for justice over Floyd’s death at the hands of police brutality.

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Police officer Derek Chauvin, 44, has been charged with third-degree murder and second-degree manslaughter after the death of Mr Floyd who begged for air while being arrested. 

Chants of ‘I can’t breathe’ – the words Mr Floyd spoke whilst being restrained by Chauvin – were heard across London this weekend while protesters in Cardiff were holding placards which said, ‘The UK is not innocent.’ 

Meanwhile, dozens of American cities have been set ablaze over the last week amid deadly clashes with police officers over Floyd’s death, which is seen as a symbol of systemic police brutality against African-Americans.

Also in the world of football this weekend, Schalke midfielder Weston McKennie wore an armband showing his support for the ‘Justice for George Floyd’ message.

-Daily Mail

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Kunle Solaja is the author of landmark books on sports and journalism as well as being a multiple award-winning journalist and editor of long standing. He is easily Nigeria’s foremost soccer diarist and Africa's most capped FIFA World Cup journalist, having attended all FIFA World Cup finals from Italia ’90 to Qatar 2022. He was honoured at the Qatar 2022 World Cup by FIFA and AIPS.

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