(CNN) — With the eyes of the world on the English Premier League’s long-awaited resumption, players and staff of the two clubs — Aston Villa and Sheffield United — as well as the refereeing officials all took a knee before the first game of the interrupted season kicked off.
The symbolic and powerful gesture was accompanied by players wearing shirts with their names replaced by the words “Black Lives Matter,” a tribute to the movement which has grown in prominence since George Floyd’s death.
Exactly 100 days after the last Premier League game took place, Villa’s game with Sheffield United was the first of 92 fixtures to be played behind closed door in the coming weeks, with Manchester City and Arsenal following later on Wednesday.
On Tuesday, Manchester City and England star Raheem Sterling contributed to a short video with other major football stars explaining how they are “tired” about the manner in which black people are treated and represented.
But the moment which may well carry the greatest impact for the Premier League’s “Project Restart” is the show of unity from all involved at a near-empty Villa Park.
The-CNN-Wire
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