FIFA confirmed that it was against racism, but rejected the way the Bundesliga players had protested the killing of George Floyd, who was suffocated by an American policeman during his arrest, which sparked demonstrations in various parts of the world.
FIFA regulations prohibit players from displaying any "political, religious or personal expressions or images" on their shirts, and since 2014 this has applied to their inner shirts that appear when the original shirt is removed after scoring the goal.
Despite this, some players protested during the German football league matches this week, and Gideon Sancho and Ashraf Hakimi duo, Borussia Dortmund, showed the phrase "Justice to George Floyd" under their shirts.
Hakimi and Sancho demand justice in the killing of George Floyd #BlackLivesMatter pic.twitter.com/sN1sDzUEPS
- Ahmed (@aabdoallah) May 31, 2020
Schalke, Weston McKinney, showed the same phrase on a armband he wore in his arm in another match, while Borussia Moenchengladbach's Marcus Thuram kneeled on his knee to honor Floyd after he scored.
The German Confederation said it was reviewing these facts related to the letter, but denied that Sancho's warning of his protest against the death of American George Floyd took off his shirt and shown the inner shirt.
The IFAP regulations - which enact the laws of the game - stipulate that players receive a warning if they "took off the playing shirt or covered their heads with the shirt", so Hakimi did not receive a warning like Sancho, as the Moroccan defender only lifted the shirt without removing it. Or covering his face.
Justice for George Floyd
Fakhr Al-Arab Ashraf Hakimi did not forget to champion just causes for people with the euphoria of joy by scoring yesterday's goal against Paderborn.
Love you so much @AchrafHakimi ❤️ # GeorgeFloyd pic.twitter.com/hvhPxAt0UQ
- SARA 3 (@ OnlySaraKSA3) June 1, 2020
FIFA issued a statement today, Tuesday, saying that it "fully understands the depth of feelings and fears expressed by many footballers under the tragic circumstances of the George Floyd case."
He added that the application of the regulations of the game is the responsibility of the organizers, such as league ties, and FIFA said that "reasoning must be used and taking into account the context related to the events."
"FIFA has repeatedly emphasized that it is against racism and discrimination in any form and has finally strengthened its disciplinary regulations, to advance the attempt to get rid of these behavior."
The statement continued, "FIFA itself launched several campaigns to combat racism, which consistently carry the phrase" fighting racism "in the matches held under its auspices.