[ad_1]
The official Premier League logo (Getty Images)
Premier league bosses say Black lives matter Team jersey badges will be replaced by patches promoting the organization’s own anti-discrimination campaign.
The badges were worn by players last season following global protests sparked by the death of George Floyd in the United States at the hands of a white police officer.
However, the Black Lives Matter group in Britain has been accused of anti-Semitism and criticized for calls to defund the police.
The league released a statement on June 30 saying it “did not endorse any political organization or movement, nor did it support any group calling for violence or endorsing illegal activities.”
The Premier League captains were asked about the change during a conference call Thursday.
Instead of the BLM badge, the players’ jerseys will have a new tagline that reads “There is no room for racism” when the 2020/21 Premier League season begins on Saturday.
Premier League Executive Director Richard Masters said: “We, our clubs, players and match officials have a longstanding commitment to addressing discrimination.
“The players rightly have a strong voice on this matter, which we saw last season. We have continued to speak and listen to the players on this issue and we will support them and continue to emphasize the Premier League’s position against racism.”
The league said it will continue to support players who kneel before games in solidarity with the BLM movement.
