London (AFP)
The players' jerseys will sport the anti-racist slogan "Black Lives Matter" on the back, in place of their name, when the English football championship resumes next week, the Premier League announced on Friday.
The players expressed "the wish to see their name replaced by + Black Lives Matter + on the back of the jerseys for the first 12 games of the resumption of the 2019/2020 season," said the PL in a press release.
These are therefore the two late matches scheduled for Wednesday 17 June - Manchester City-Arsenal and Aston Villa-Sheffield United - then the 10 matches of the 30th day which will be played between Friday 19 and Monday 22.
The English Football League (EFL) has also indicated that it "supports players who wish to kneel before or during the match", a gesture in tribute to George Floyd, the African-American father killed by a police at the end of May in Minneapolis, in the United States.
For all the matches remaining this season, a "Black Lives Matter" logo will be affixed on the jerseys, as well as another thanking the British Health Services (NHS) for their work in combating the Covid-19 epidemic, again made known the PL.
The press release also transcribes a message from the players of the 20 teams of the English elite.
"We are united in the sole objective of eradicating racist prejudice, wherever they are, of bringing about a world society of integration, respect and offering equal opportunities to all, regardless of their color or their faith, "said the players.
The approach is also supported by the English federation (FA) and by the union organizations representing coaches, players and referees.
On Wednesday, during the German Cup semi-final against Bayern, the players from Frankfurt also wore a jersey with #blacklivesmatter, the slogan of the fight against racist police violence, launched in the United States but which has become global in recent weeks .
Bayern had worn t-shirts with this inscription to the warm-up.
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