Premier League referees instructed not to show yellow cards to players displaying support to Ukraine after Matty Cash booking

Referees in the Premier League have been instructed not to hand out yellow cards to players who display support for Ukraine amid Russia’s ongoing invasion.

Aston Villa right-back Matty Cash scored the opener for Steven Gerrard’s side in their win over Brighton on Saturday and afterwards took off his shirt to reveal a message to his Poland teammate Tomasz Kedziora.

It read: ‘Tomasz Kedziora and family – stay strong bro.’ Dynamo Kyiv player and Poland international Kedziora has remained in the Ukrainian capital city as Russia’s invasion continues.

For the latest updates on the Russia-Ukraine war, visit our live blog: Russia-Ukraine live

For the latest updates on the Russia-Ukraine war, visit our live blog: Russia-Ukraine live

Cash was subsequently booked by referee John Brooks for taking off his shirt, as per Premier League rules.

But the Daily Mail report that referees have been urged to show ‘understanding’ and ’empathy’ when it comes to players who have been affected by the situation in Ukraine.

Sky Sports presenter Jeff Stelling said at the time of the yellow card: ‘It’s a message for the people in Ukraine, and he’s been booked for it!

‘For goodness sake, John Brooks is an inexperienced Premier League referee and hopefully when people come to their senses, the Premier League will just ignore that. They should just ignore that.’

Over the weekend, Manchester City players wore T-shirts with the message ‘No War’, while Everton players had Ukraine flags draped on their shoulders at Goodison Park.

Meanwhile, FIFA is set to suspend Russia from international football, which includes the World Cup, until further notice.

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