After scoring on Sunday, the Brazilian full-back raised his right fist in protest, joining the likes of Weston McKennie and Jadon Sancho
Marcelo became the latest footballer to ‘take a knee’ in solidarity with Black Lives Matter following his goal in Real Madrid‘s clash against Eibar on Sunday.
Protests began in the United States and have spread across the world following the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis, with police officer Derek Chauvin having since been charged with murder.
Several players have also moved to show their support, with Weston McKennie, Jadon Sancho and Marcos Thuram sending Black Lives Matters messages in Bundesliga games and the likes of Bayern Munich and Borussia Dortmund also transmitting anti-racist messages prior to games.
Marcelo found the net 37 minutes into Madrid’s first game back in La Liga following the outbreak of the coronavirus pandemic and opted to mark his strike by kneeling with one fist raised in tribute to the movement.
The left-back had previously joined FIFA’s Stop Racism, Violence and Discrimination campaign, posing in a black shirt alongside Gianluigi Buffon, Rio Ferdinand, Gerard Pique and a total of 40 football stars past and present in a plea to put an end to such episodes.
“It’s reassuring to see that every day a growing number of FIFA Legends and current professional players from different genders, racial and religious backgrounds are using their platforms to echo FIFA’s messages to their fans around the globe,” said FIFA Secretary-General Fatma Samoura.
“It’s time that an overdue spotlight is shone on the treatment of black people and the racism and violence many encounter in their daily lives.
“To all these footballers, I am proud of your commitment to fighting for what is right and I encourage others to add their voices to this important message in the coming days.”
Prior to the match, the Brazilian’s team-mate Toni Kroos – who got Madrid off the mark on Sunday after just four minutes – anticipated that the protests would and should spill over into La Liga.
“I imagine that players in Spain will want to show solidarity with it,” he told DAZN and Goal of the BLM movement. “It cannot be ruled out and certainly not condemned.
“It’s incredible that such acts are still happening. But it’s good that a rethink is taking place now. I hope that we can help those affected by it to some extent.”
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