Referee Refuses To Give Kudus A Yellow Card For Christian Atsu Tribute, Explains In Video

• Mohammed Kudus removed his jersey to pay tribute to Christian Atsu during a match between his club Ajax and Sparta Rotterdam
• In light of this, he was supposed to receive a yellow card from the referee. However, the match official did not issue the yellow card
• Kudus, after the game, explained during a presser why the referee did not issue a yellow card after his actions

Ajax Midfielder Mohammed Kudus paid tribute to the late Ghanaian footballer Christian Atsu during a game between his club and Sparta Rotterdam on February 19, 2023.

Per FIFA's Law 12, a player is automatically issued a yellow card by the referee if they remove their jersey to celebrate their goal. That law was implemented on July 1, 2004, and was approved by the International Football Association Board (IFAB) at the 118th Annual Meeting of IFAB in London.

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Mohammed Kudus mourns tragic death of Christian Atsu: “Can’t find words”

However, after flouting that rule, the referee who officiated the match, Pol van Boekel, did not issue a yellow card to the Ghanaian footballer.

In a presser, Kudus explained that the referee told him he understood the situation and added that the tribute was bigger than football since it was a life-and-death matter.

He stated that he owed the referee all due respect for understanding and saying those kind words to him.

Kudus added that his goal celebration was to pay his respect to the late Christian Atsu and to all the earthquake victims in Turkey.

Watch the video of Kudus sharing why the referee did not give him a card for his actions.

Watch a video of Kudus' freekick in the video below.

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Mohammed Kudus pays touching tribute to Christian Atsu after scoring for Ajax, video warms hearts

Below are statements from Mohammed Kudus after the game between Ajax and Sparta Rotterdam.

Meanwhile, the game between Kudus' club Ajax and Sparta Rotterdam, ended in a 4-0 win in favour of his club.

Asamoah Gyan pays tribute to Chrisitan Atsu and shares a hilarious skit

In another related story reported by YEN.com.gh, Asamoah Gyan, the teammate of deceased Black Stars player Christian Atsu paid tribute to him.

Gyan shared a hilarious skit in which he and Atsu acted. The video has melted the hearts of many Ghanaians as they continue to mourn the talented player.

Source: YEN.com.gh