George Floyd’s death has shaken the world. Floyd was a coloured man who was choked to death by a white policeman in the United States – the incident has united the world against racism, and people from the sporting fraternity, especially footballers are also outpouring their support to against the injustice done to Floyd.
The 46-year-old African American died in Minneapolis after being restrained by the police officer, Derek Chauvin, who kneeled on his neck. The video footage of the incident shows Floyd gasping for breath, with his last words being, “I can’t breathe”.
This isn’t the first case of its kind as a study conducted by The Guardian in 2016 showed that the rate of fatal shootings per million for black people stands at 6.6 as compared to the whites’ (2.2).
Such incidents have seen the rise of various movements on social media, including the #BlackLivesMatter trend, which has resonated widely throughout the footballing world.
Martin Luther King once said, “Injustice anywhere, is a threat to justice everywhere,” and it’s really pleasing to see footballers from the past and present, taking their stand against such issues.
The beautiful game itself isn’t free of racism as there have been a lot of shambolic incidents in the past. But several footballers are using social media and other means to voice their concerns and lend their support to the anti-racist movements.
Here are 10 instances when footballers showed their solidarity with George Floyd protesters:
#1 Weston Mckennie
It all began when Schalke midfield Weston McKennie was seen sporting a ‘Justice for George’ armband during their Bundesliga game against Werder Bremen on Saturday.
Mckennie tweeted after the game that he will continue to voice his concern until appropriate actions are taken, while also urging his fellow footballers to stand united.
#2 Marcus Thuram
Following Weston Mckennie’s rallying call, Borussia Monchengladbach footballer Marcus Thuram took a knee after scoring a goal against Union Berlin. His gesture was widely supported by the club as well.
Marcus is the son of former France international Lillian Thuram, who is an outspoken character in the fight against racism.
#3 Jadon Sancho
Jadon Sancho was another player from the Bundesliga to show solidarity with George Floyd’s protesters. The 20-year-old, who scored a hat-trick on Sunday night against Paderborn, celebrated by removing his jersey which revealed a t-shirt with the handwritten message, “Justice for George Floyd”.
The Borussia Dortmund star was subsequently booked for lifting his jersey, as per FIFA rules.
#4 Achraf Hakimi
Jadon Sancho’s teammate, Achraf Hakimi also got on the scoresheet in Dortmund’s game against Paderborn, and the Moroccan wing-back sported a similar “Justice for George Floyd” t-shirt under his jersey.
Hakimi wasn’t booked by the referee as he didn’t lift the jersey over his head.
#5 Paul Pogba
While footballers in the Bundesliga have been the leading voices in the movement, Premier League players have also chipped in with their support as Manchester United midfielder Paul Pogba posted a heartfelt message on his Instagram account, on Monday.
In his post, Pogba wrote that he was in “extreme anger and sadness” after George Floyd’s death, while he urged people to stop violence and racism once and for all.
#6 Marcus Rashford
Paul Pogba’s Manchester United teammate Marcus Rashford also took to his Instagram account to lend his support on the matter. The Englishman opined that “people are divided now, more than ever”, whilst showing his solidarity towards George Floyd.
#7 David Beckham
Former Manchester United and Real Madrid midfielder David Beckham also took to Instagram as he lamented the fact that things like racism still happen in 2020.
Beckham, who is one of the most renowned ex-footballers in the world, also lent his support to George Floyd’s family and millions of people from the black community who have suffered.
#8 Rhian Brewster
Liverpool youngster Rhian Brewster wrote a heartfelt post on Instagram, wherein he insisted that such instances go beyond racism as he called for “justice for human beings”.
He also added that people protesting against the unjust acts do not want “special privileges”, instead they want to live a normal life like others do, “a level playing field”, in the words of Brewster.
#9 Liverpool players
On Monday, Liverpool players took a knee at Anfield, in support against the brutality done by the police towards those protesting George Floyd’s death.
The picture was shared by various footballers on their social media accounts as it showed 29 squad members kneeling around the centre-circle.
#10 Chelsea players
Chelsea players also showed solidarity to the movement by taking a knee and forming the letter H, for humans, at Cobham before training on Tuesday morning.
Earlier, the Premier League outfit had released a statement via their social media handles, with the Blues stating that they stand together with George Floyd, and all those suffering from discrimination.