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Mainz’s Kunde Malong takes knee, Bayern and Dortmund show support
for Black Lives Matter
BERLIN, June 7, 2020 (BSS/AFP) – Pierre Kunde Malong on Saturday
became the latest Bundesliga player to pay tribute to George Floyd
when he took a knee after scoring the second goal in Mainz’s 2-0 win
at Eintracht Frankfurt.
As thousands assembled in Berlin and Munich to demonstrate against
police brutality and for racial equality, Mainz midfielder Kunde
Malong paid tribute to Floyd, a black American man who died in
Minneapolis last month while being arrested by police officers.
The Cameroonian will face no sanction from the German Football
Federation (DFB) for the gesture after it gave the green light on
Wednesday to players who wanted to honour Floyd or support the Black
Lives Matter protests which have raged across the USA.
Borussia Dortmund players also wore messages on their T-shirts
during their pre-match warm-up ahead of their clash with Hertha Berlin
later on Saturday.
Jadon Sancho and Achraf Hakimi wore the messages “no justice, no
peace”, while midfielders Axel Witsel and Emre Can’s T-shirts
displayed the words “black”, “white” and “yellow” crossed out, with
the word “human” below.
Sancho and Hakimi had avoided punishment by the DFB following their
on-pitch calls for justice for Floyd last week, as German football’s
governing body gave players the go-ahead to show their feelings
regarding Floyd’s death and the subsequent protests.
Earlier, German champions Bayern Munich became the highest-profile
club in the country to show their support the protests.
Prior to their 4-2 win at Bayer Leverkusen, players warmed up in
T-shirts bearing both the Black Lives Matter hashtag and the slogan of
the club’s official “Reds Against Racism” campaign.
“As players, we always have the same message: we are tolerant, we
are open, we are open to the world,” Bayern captain Manuel Neuer told
Sky after the game.
During the game, all Bayern players also wore black armbands
bearing the words “Black Lives Matter”.
“FC Bayern stands for a world in which racism, discrimination,
hate, injustice and violence have no place. The death of George Floyd
and the images from the USA have shocked us all,” said club president
Herbert Hainer in a statement.
“It’s a matter of actively and loudly showing our colours. Black
Lives Matter and Reds Against Racism. We stand for togetherness that
goes far beyond sports.”
BSS/AFP/MRU/1750hrs