Breach of protocol: GFL hammer Manuel Akanji and Jadon Sancho
Nigeria born Swiss international Manuel Akanji was slammed with undisclosed fine on Friday for what the German Football Federation GFL dubbed Covid-19 lockdown breach of protocol.
Also hammered along with Akanji was Borussia Dortmund team-mate and England international Jadon Sancho who only few days ago graced all the headlines after lifting his shirt in condemnation of treatment meted on late George Floyd.
Akanji and Sancho were hammered after photos emerged of them having a trim in their own respective homes, with neither the players nor the celebrity hairdresser wearing any personal protective equipment (PPE) in the pictures.
A statement from the German league (DFL read: ‘The DFL has fined Manuel Akanji and Jadon Sancho.
‘The players from Borussia Dortmund had obviously violated general hygiene and infection protection standards at home hairdressing appointments and in particular the medical-organisational concept of the DFL task force.
‘There is no question that professional footballers also have to have their hair cut. However, this currently has to be done in accordance with the medical-organisational concept.’
While Akanji appeared to have taken the punishment in its stride an apparently angry Sancho took to his twitter to reveal what he thought of the news that he would be receiving a fine.
Dortmund though in support of players having haircuts if they so desire, the club however insists that observing the Covid rules is inevitable.
‘It is pretty common that our guys must get their hair cut after all these months,’ Dortmund said
‘But it surely is a no-go, from both sides, to not wear a mask. We will remind our players about that very, very clearly. Also: the stylist should ask himself about his behaviour, too.’
Akanji, who was born to a Swiss mother and a Swiss-Nigerian father transferred to Borussia Dortmund on 15 January 2018 from Basel for 18 million euros.
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Sancho on the other hand moved to the Bundesliga in 2017 from Manchester City and has impressed during his time in Germany even as he posted an impressive run grabbing a hat-trick in Dortmund’s 6-1 demolition of Paderborn last month.