George Floyd tributes, anti-racism campaign get German football support

Bundesliga stars, Jadon Sancho, Achraf Hakimi, Marcus Thuram and Weston McKennie will not be punished by Germany’s Football Federation, the DFB, after they paid tribute to George Floyd during the last round of matches in Germany’s top flight, the DFB said in a statement on Wednesday (June 3).

Mass protests erupted in the United States after Floyd died while in the custody of police officers in Minnesota last week. There has been a strong reaction to the news in the football world too, with a number of stars in the German top-flight showing their support for the Black Lives Matter movement.

Thuram led the tributes when he took a knee after finding the net in Borussia Monchengladbach’s win against Union Berlin on Sunday (May 31), before Sancho and Hakimi both celebrated scoring during Borussia Dortmund’s 6-1 victory over Paderborn by revealing t-shirts displaying the message “Justice for George Floyd”. The day before, Schalke midfielder McKennie wore an armband with the same words, during the club’s 1-0 loss to Werder Bremen.

The DFB promised to examine all four tributes after those matches and have now absolved the four players of any wrongdoing. In the official statement released on Wednesday, the DFB also outlined plans to commemorate Floyd’s death in upcoming fixtures.
“The DFB Control Committee will not initiate proceedings against Hakimi, Sancho, McKennie & Thuram.
“The committee also intends to maintain this line in new anti-racism campaigns to mark the death of George Floyd on the coming match days,” the statement read.

Sancho hit the first hat-trick of his professional career against Paderborn, but admitted post-match that the moment was “bitter-sweet” due to the racial tension in the US. He wrote on Twitter: “We have to come together as one & fight for justice. We are stronger together!”

The Bundesliga returned on May 18 following the coronavirus-enforced break in the season.

Top-flight officials have already made it clear that any players seen delivering their own anti-racism messages on the pitch will avoid suspension, with a number of clubs taking to social media in a show of unity with those affected by Floyd’s death.

Manchester United duo Marcus Rashford and Paul Pogba have both used their platforms to speak out on the issue, while Liverpool and Chelsea players posted images of their respective squads taking a knee in training sessions at the start of the week. The English Premier League is scheduled to restart on June 17.