The German FA has clarified Jadon Sancho’s yellow card on Sunday during Borussia Dortmund’s 6-1 win over Paderborn.
England star Sancho scored his first senior hat-trick as Lucien Favre’s men ran out convincing winners over the Bundesliga’s bottom club.
After scoring his first, to make it 2-1 to Die Borussen, Sancho removed his shirt during the celebration to reveal an undershirt with a message “Justice for George Floyd” - the black American whose death in Minneapolis after a white policeman knelt on his neck has led to worldwide protests.
Sancho was duly shown a yellow card by the match official.
But teammate Achraf Hakimi was not booked after he scored later on, lifting his shirt to reveal a similar handwritten message.
Questions have been asked over why Sancho was cautioned and Hakimi not.
Now the DFB have sought to offer clarification.
"This is clearly defined as illegal conduct as per Law 12 and does not have anything to do with any political message," Lutz Michael Froehlich, the sporting director of elite referees at the DFB, said in a statement.
“It is hardly possible for referees to register political, religious or personal slogans, messages or images during a game.”
Law 12 written by rule-making body IFAB states that players will be cautioned for “removing the shirt or covering the head with the shirt”.
The DFB have said it is reviewing possible cases with regard Sancho, Hakimi and Schalke’s Weston McKennie, who wore an armband with the slogan “Justice for George”.
IFAB laws state equipment must not have any political, religious or personal slogans, statements or images.
“Part of these examinations is to ascertain whether during matches and on the pitch are the right place for these actions,” DFB vice president Rainer Koch said.
He also added that he respected and understood the players’ actions however.
“The game itself should remain free of political statements or messages of any kind... There are of course opportunities before and after the match for these kinds of things.
“We’ll have to wait and see whether sanctions are required in these instances.”
Marcus Thuram took a knee to honour Floyd after scoring for Borussia Monchengladbach but the DFB said it was “open to interpretation” and was not against the rules.
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