George Floyd death: FIFA urge "common sense" when dealing with protests

By Barney Corkhill, Editor | 02 June 2020

FIFA urge football authorities to use "common sense" when dealing with protests regarding the death of George Floyd after a string of incidents in the Bundesliga.

FIFA has urged football authorities to use "common sense" when dealing with protests against the death of George Floyd.

The world of sport has begun to rally in support of the Black Lives Matter movement, which has been thrust back into the forefront of public consciousness following the death of Floyd in Minneapolis last week.

Floyd was filmed pleading for breath as a white police officer knelt on his neck for more than eight minutes - the latest example of an unarmed black person dying in an altercation with police.

A number of games in the Bundesliga last weekend were marked by protests, with Borussia Dortmund duo Jadon Sancho and Achraf Hakimi revealing 'Justice for George Floyd' T-shirts and Borussia Monchengladbach's Marcus Thuram celebrating his goal by taking a knee.

Borussia Monchengladbach's Marcus Thuram takes a knee after scoring on May 31, 2020 © Reuters

The Bundesliga is investigating the incidents due to a FIFA rule dictating that players are banned from displaying "political, religious or personal slogans, statements or images", but football's governing body has now urged for "common sense" to be used.

In a statement, FIFA said: "FIFA fully understands the depth of sentiment and concerns expressed by many footballers in light of the tragic circumstances of the George Floyd case.

"The application of the laws of the game... is left for the competitions' organisers, which should use common sense and have in consideration the context surrounding the events."

A number of other prominent sports stars such as Paul Pogba, Marcus Rashford and the Liverpool and Chelsea teams have also voiced their support for the movement.