Eintracht Frankfurt Wears 'Black Lives Matter' Jersey vs. Bayern Munich

The German club said "racism, xenophobia, anti-semitism and homophobia have no place in the Eintracht Family."

Eintracht Frankfurt donned jerseys bearing the phrase "Black Lives Matter" on Wednesday when facing Bayern Munich in the DFB Pokal semifinal. 

The new shirt was shared by Eintracht Frankfurt in Wednesday's 2-1 defeat at the Allianz Arena in Munich along with a team statement. 

"Eintracht Frankfurt's history is shaped by open-mindedness and international understanding," the club wrote. "These attributes are strongly anchored in the Eintracht DNA. Racism, xenophobia, anti-Semitism and homophobia have no place within the Eintracht family and must not have a place in a liberal society."

Eintracht Frankfurt joins a long list of Bundesliga clubs and players protesting racial injustice following the killing of George Floyd in Minnesota. Its opponent Wednesday,  Bayern, wore warmup shirts and armbands with "Black Lives Matter" on them over the weekend. Werder Bremen and Wolfsburg kneeled in unison around the center circle to pay homage to Floyd before a match over the weekend, while Union Berlin and Schalke did the same. Schalke and U.S. midfielder Weston McKinnie was the first to honor Floyd's memory by donning an armband with the phrase, "Justice for George." 

Other players like Monchengladbach's Marcus Thuram and Borussia Dortmund's Jadon Sancho and Achraf Hakimi paid tribute as well, with the Bundesliga following FIFA's recommendation not to discipline the players for on-field statements that could be perceived to be political.

Floyd was killed in police custody in Minneapolis on May 25 after officer Derek Chauvin placed his knee on Floyd's neck for more than eight minutes. Floyd can be heard on video saying "I can't breathe" numerous times before his death. 

Floyd's death has led to widespread protests and calls for police reform across the United States and the world. 

Chauvin has been charged with second-degree murder and second-degree manslaughter. Three other Minneapolis police officers have been charged with aiding and abetting murder for their role in Floyd's death. 

Eintracht Frankfurt defeated Werder Bremen in the DFB-Pokal quarterfinals on March 4 to advance to the semis. It beat Bayern in the 2018 final for its fifth title all-time but first in 30 years.


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Michael Shapiro
MICHAEL SHAPIRO

Michael Shapiro is a staff writer for Sports Illustrated. He is a Denver native and 2018 graduate of The University of Texas at Austin.