Why the referee did not sanction Mohammed Kudus for his tribute to Christian Atsu

Scorer on a free kick in the 84th minute of the match Ajax Amsterdam – Sparta Rotterdam (4-0), this Sunday in Eredivisie, Ghanaian international Mohammed Kudus paid tribute to Christian Atsu. The day before, Atsu had been found dead under the rubble of his building in Turkey, where a terrible earthquake occurred.

Under the jersey of the Ajax winger, a flocked t-shirt « RIP Atsu » (Rest in peace Atsu). But the referee of the meeting, the Dutchman Pol Van Boekel, did not brandish a yellow card, as is customary. Kudus explains. “We all know what is happening in Turkey and Syria, synthesize at the microphone of ESPN, in a video relayed on Twitter. Atsu was a relative, but everyone may have family members or friends involved in this tragedy. »

“We have rules in football, but all this goes far beyond football, pursues Kudus. We are talking about life and death. So the ref just told me it wasn’t allowed (to take off his jersey) but that he understood because this situation is more than just playing football. The understanding of the situation by the referee is for me a great mark of respect. »

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