Published 18:15 IST, November 20th 2019
Georginio Wijnaldum, Frenkie De Jong send strong anti-racism message in celebration
Netherlands' midfield duo of Georginio Wijnaldum and Frenkie De Jong made a bold goal anti-racist celebration in the 5-0 home win against Estonia on Tuesday.
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Netherlands romped their way to a stunning 5-0 win against Estonia in their UEFA Euro 2020 qualifier at the Johan Cruyff Stadium on Tuesday night. The Orange outfit looked in command right from the start as Georginio Wijnaldum opened the scoring in the 6th minute itself. The Liverpool midfielder went on to score a hat-trick, the first scored by a Dutch player in the last six years. However, he also used the occasion to make a bold statement in the fight against racism which is still prevalent in modern football.
The Orange brigade make a bold statement in the battle against racism
Enough Is Enough!! #StopRacism 🤜🏻🤛🏿 pic.twitter.com/AQQbJik9w9
— OnsOranje (@OnsOranje) November 19, 2019
Georginio Wijnaldum celebrates goal with strong anti-racism message
Georginio Wijnaldum celebrated his goal with an anti-racism message. pic.twitter.com/zENn16FkVj
— ESPN FC (@ESPNFC) November 19, 2019
Almost immediately after opening the scoring at the Johan Cruyff Stadium early in the first half, former Newcastle midfielder Georginio Wijnaldum along with Barcelona's Frenkie De Jong made their way towards the broadcast camera to send out an anti-racism message. The 29-year-old ran over to the touchline and extended his forearm along with that of De Jong's while simultaneously pointing out the different skin tone to highlight the fact that football is a game for every race and colour. Georginio Wijnaldum's celebration was in response to racist abuse suffered by Excelsior player Ahmad Mendes Moreira in the 3-3 draw with Den Bosch in the Dutch second division over the weekend. The Excelsior vs Den Bosch game had to be stopped midway following the abuse as the Excelsior players left the pitch in protest. The Royal Dutch Football Association (KNVB) has vowed to investigate the incident and punish the perpetrators as per FIFA rules and regulations.
Georginio Wijnaldum bags an epic hat-trick against Estonia
⚽️⚽️⚽️
— OnsOranje (@OnsOranje) November 19, 2019
Gini = 🤩 pic.twitter.com/9Tg9NWnMtJ
16:57 IST, November 20th 2019