Shocked by the death of George Floyd, an African-American asphyxiated by a white policeman with his knee in Minneapolis on May 25, Thierry Henry wants to take advantage of the MLS revival tournament in Orlando to show his support for the Black Lives Matter movement. “Over there in Orlando, I don't know what will happen, what we will be allowed to do or not to support the cause. There is something I would like to do but I keep it to myself ”, the Impact Montreal coach said during a video conference with the press on May 30.
"I think we all know that the lives of black people matter (Black Lives Matter). We talk about it, everyone does it, everyone shows that they are beginning to understand our pain ", he continued. The former French international and his team are expected in Orlando on July 2. They will start in the tournament on July 9 with a game against the New England Revolution.
Several MLS players have also planned to make their voices heard in Orlando, such as Jeremy Ebobisse. The Portland Timbers (Paris-born) American striker co-founded the Black Players Coalition on June 19, an association of players of color that aims to combat racism and discrimination within the league. "I think we will have a lot of time during a month of competition to mark the occasion, to take advantage of the opportunity of the tournament to be heard and to extend the reach of our organization, and we will succeed", he explained on June 29.
