Serie A club, AS Roma, has said that it will have a Black Lives Matter patch on their match shirts for the rest of the Serie A season.

The club in a message on its twitter handle says it is now time to be anti-racist, adding that it is no longer enough not to be racist.

The movement started in the United States of America after the killing of Geroge Floyd by a white policeman.

Bundesliga, La Liga, English Premier League, and several other teams are taking the knee in solidarity before the beginning of each game. Players were also joined in solidarity by referees and coaches, as witnessed in the English Premiership on Wednesday night.

The Gialorrossi announced that the special patch would be on the left sleeve with the words ‘Black Lives Matter’ and their charity motto ‘Assieme,’ which means Together. The Serie A side will, therefore, wore it for all 12 remaining league matches, starting with Sampdoria on June 24.

Speaking on the development, Paul Rogers, chief strategy officer at AS Roma said the club is  100% committed to tackling racism in all forms, adding that with the incredible global platform it has, the club is in a powerful position to send out a clear message that Black Lives Matter.

He further stated that the mass protests that have been witnessed worldwide have shown that it is no longer enough to be racist, but all must be anti-racist.

While stating that there is a need to do more in advocating for the black ethnic group than just wearing a patch on shirts to make a meaningful contribution to the global challenge, Rogers said AS Roma feel it’s a timely opportunity to communicate an important message to millions of television viewers around the world.

The club further announced that it would also auction off match-worn shirts with the logo from each of the 12 games. This will be done to raise money for anti-racism organizations, and  Roma Cares charity wing.

The charity which will be launched in July will have a new monthly anti-racism workshop to help educate young people in Rome about racism. This the club believes will help people better understand ways in which they can proactively influence their peers in an anti-racist way.

Written by: Oladipupo Mojeed