This week marks the long-awaited return of the Premier League, as one of the world’s best soccer leagues looks to finish out what had been a thrilling season. The teams comprising the league will also be making a statement when they head back onto the pitch. A few days ago came the news that jerseys will feature the phrase “Black Lives Matter” in lieu of players’ names. Now, ESPN FC has a first look at what that will look like in practice.
A first look at the new Premier League kits. The players have chosen to replace their names with "Black Lives Matter."
(via @SheffieldUnited) pic.twitter.com/IqetxMCx1D
— ESPN FC (@ESPNFC) June 16, 2020
In addition to the replaced names, the jerseys will also feature two patches. One of them will also feature the phrase “Black Lives Matter,” while the other will honor NHS staff who have been dealing with COVID-19.
The Premier League season will resume on June 17. Among the narratives to follow are Liverpool’s astonishing title run, as well as north London rivals Arsenal and Tottenham Hotspur looking to make the most of their time off and qualify for next season’s UEFA Champions League. A significant decision likely to affect the European competition status of many Premier League teams won’t come until July, however. That’s when Manchester City will hear back about the status of their two-year ban from European competitions.
The coming weeks will be exciting ones for fans of the Premier League. But the addition of these messages to players’ jerseys will also serve as an important reminder of the critical issues taking place outside of stadiums — and that sports don’t exist in a vacuum.
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