Merciful Ajinomoh
The Premier League has been told by its Chinese rights holders they will not broadcast coverage of matches this weekend because of a planned show of support for Ukraine following the invasion by Russia.
China is Russia’s largest trading partner and one of the few nations globally that has not condemned President Vladimir Putin’s invasion.
Recall that Vladimir Putin gave the order for his troops to cross the Ukrainian border a week ago, the move which has been condemned by world leaders.
Since the invasion began, football players and fans have expressed their support for Ukraine at games played across the world. Building on this, the Premier League announced its own plans to show solidarity ahead of this weekend’s round of fixtures.
The league has said it “wholeheartedly rejects Russia’s actions.”
“We call for peace and our thoughts are with all those who have been impacted,” it added, when announcing the show of solidarity earlier this week.
Club captains are scheduled to wear special armbands in the colours of the Ukrainian flag with all players, coaching staff and supporters urged to take part in a moment of reflection before each game kicks off.
Fans have also been encouraged to join “a moment of reflection and solidarity before kick-off at each game”.
When asked about the Chinese refusal to show matches, the Premier League declined to comment.
