体坛英语新闻：Premier League supports players to oppose racism

LONDON, June 12 (Xinhua) -- Premier League will allow players to wear "Black Lives Matter" on shirts for 12 matches, confirmed the English football top flight on Friday as their support to the players' wish to oppose racism.

The Premier League players from all 20 clubs released a statement, saying that they "stand together with the singular objective of eradicating racial prejudice wherever it exists, to bring about a global society of inclusion, respect, and equal opportunities for All, regardless of their color or creed."

The Premier League said they support the players' wish to have their names replaced by "Black Lives Matter" on the back of their shirts for the first 12 matches of the restarted 2019-20 season.

"A Black Lives Matter logo will also feature on shirts for the remainder of the season, along with a badge thanking the NHS for their work during the COVID-19 crisis," said the Premier League.

The Premier League also said that they would support players who "take a knee" before or during matches.

The Premier League has set June 17 as a provisional date for resuming the 2019-20 season, after all elite football games in England were suspended on March 13 due to the COVID-19 outbreak.

There are 92 Premier League games still to play this season, with the first two fixtures seeing Aston Villa host Sheffield United and Manchester City face Arsenal.