London (AFP)
The tribute to the anti-racism "Black Lives Matter" and to the caregivers who fought the Covid-19 will have been the highlights, Wednesday, of the first Premier League match in 100 days, ended by a 0-0 between Aston Villa and Sheffield United.
Impatiently awaited by millions of fans around the world, this resumption match will not have advanced much in the standings, Villa remaining relegated (19th with 26 points), while Sheffield nibbles a row and passes 6th with 44 units.
But the important thing was elsewhere, the sportsman being relegated to the background by the context surrounding the meeting.
During the first ten seconds of the late match, all the players, the staff on the benches and the referees knelt down as a symbol of the movement to combat racism and police violence.
The slogan "Black Lives Matter" appeared on the back of all jerseys instead of the names of the players, as will be the case for Manchester City-Arsenal later in the evening and for the 10 matches of the 3rd day which will run from Friday to Monday.
Before kick-off, in an empty stadium due to the closed door, and decorated only with supporters' tarpaulins in the stands, the teams observed a minute of silence in tribute to the staff of the British Health Service (NHS) who fought against the new coronavirus.
Sheffield can always regret the questionable decision of the video refereeing which deprived them of a goal on a blunder of the goalkeeper of Villa, returned in his cages with the ball.
An arbitration decision mocked on social networks and which is one more sign of the gradual return to normal for a Premier League which never seems to know a day without controversy on the VAR.
© 2020 AFP