Soccer Players, Match Officials Kneel On One Knee To Support 'Black Lives Movement' As EPL Resumes After 100-day Hiatus

Soccer players from Arsenal, Aston Villa, Manchester City, Sheffield United had "Black Lives Matter" displayed at the back of their jerseys , rather than displaying a name. When the referees blew the whistle to signal the start of the first matches in months, everyone on the field — including the match officials — dropped to a knee for several seconds before rising in unison and beginning their games.

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The potent strikes, hard tackles and solid defenses were all there to see as the English Premier League made a much awaited resumption on Wednesday night after it had been temporarily suspended for 100 days in wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. Amid all the action that unfolded on the green turf, one heartwarming gesture that really made the return of the elite football league special and noteworthy was playing bending down on one knee in support of the Black Lives Movement. The Black Lives movements has take a global turn with leading sports persons besides millions of citizens joining the movement to mark their protests against the brutal death of African American citizen George Floyd's brutal by a police cop in the United States. Soccer players from Arsenal, Aston Villa, Manchester City, Sheffield United had "Black Lives Matter" displayed at the back of their jerseys , rather than displaying a name. When the referees blew the whistle to signal the start of the first matches in months, everyone on the field — including the match officials — dropped to a knee for several seconds before rising in unison and beginning their games. A joint statement issued by Villa and Sheffield United shortly after their match began said they "were proud to stand in solidarity" with the actions of their players and coaching staff in "expressing our collective support for the Black Lives Matter movement". According to Reuters, the matches were the first in Premier League history to be held without fans. Strict health protocols due to the coronavirus pandemic limited the events to 300 personnel total. Match officials also took part, on a night players' names on shirts were replaced with 'Black Lives Matter'.

???? - "A powerful image to show football's social conscience."

Players from both sides take a knee before kick-off to show support for the #BlackLivesMatter movement. Watch #AVFC v #SUFC live on Sky Sports PL now: https://t.co/hS2ppOif6Y pic.twitter.com/SbGxZenQOU — Sky Sports Premier League (@SkySportsPL) June 17, 2020

Manchester City's Raheem Sterling said it was a "massive step" that players took a knee in support of the Black Lives Matter movement on the opening night of the Premier League's return. "It shows we're going in the right direction," Raheem Sterling told Sky Sports. "Little by little we're seeing change. It was natural, it was organic. We saw the teams do it in the earlier kick-off and thought it was something we had to do as well." Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola added: "White people should say sorry for the way we have treated black people for 400 years. I am ashamed of what we have done to black people around the world. "It is not only in the USA where it has happened. The problem is everywhere. "Maybe for our generation it is too late but for the following generations, they can understand the only race is ourselves. We are human beings. It doesn't matter the colour of our skin."