Borussia Monchengladbach forward Marcus Thuram took a knee after scoring his first goal on Sunday in honour of ongoing protests in the United States following the death of George Floyd.
Floyd, who is black, died in police custody in Minnesota after a white police officer kneeled on his neck for several minutes. The incident sparked violent protests in cities across the United States.
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Protests have now spread to Europe with people gathering in London and Berlin.
The club tweeted an image of Thuram kneeling with the caption: “No explanation needed.”
The forward’s kneeling was similar to a gesture made by former NFL quarterback Colin Kaepernick, who in 2016 began kneeling during the U.S. national anthem to protest police brutality.
Thuram’s father Lilian, a retired professional footballer and a 1998 World Cup-winner with France, is an anti-racism activist and UNICEF ambassador.
On Saturday, U.S. international and Schalke midfielder Weston McKennie also displayed his support for Floyd, wearing an armband with the message: “Justice for George.”
Thuram followed up his first goal with a second after 59 minutes, giving Gladbach a 3-1 lead against Union Berlin after the capital side had equalised just after half-time.
Alassane Plea, who assisted both of Thuram’s goals, sealed Gladbach’s win with a fourth goal in the 81st minute and the game ended 4-1.
After the game, Thuram led celebrations for teammate Mamadou Doucoure who made his first-team debut four years after signing for the club. Doucoure has suffered several injuries which have prevented him from appearing for the club since he signed in 2016.
