The players of SK Slavia Praha wearing jerseys with the message "Stay Strong Wuhan" in English and Mandarin pose prior to their Czech Liga match against SFC Opava in Prague, the Czech Republic, Feb. 22, 2020. (Xinhua/Martin Mach)
Czech top-flight team SK Slavia Praha expressed solidarity with China in fighting against the novel coronavirus during their 2-0 home win over SFC Opava on Saturday.
Before kick-off, players from Slavia wore jerseys with the message "Stay strong Wuhan" in English and Mandarin to show support to Chinese people in the fight against the virus.
The same message could also be seen in front of the players' pre-match line-up and on the big screens at the Sinobo Stadium in Prague. The club also plan to hold an online "Wuhan"-themed jersey auction to raise funds for supplies for medical workers fighting the epidemic in China.
"We want to express, in our own way, our solidarity with our Chinese friends at this difficult time," said Jaroslav Tvrdik, chairman of the Slavia club.
Zhang Jianmin, Chinese ambassador to the Czech Republic, attended the match and expressed gratitude to the club and the Czech people for their support.
"This has shown the friendship between the people of our two countries, which gives us more confidence in fighting against the virus," said Zhang. "With strong support from all over the world including the Czech Republic, China has the confidence and ability to win this battle."
Slavia now sits top of the Czech football league. In 2018, it became a brother club with Chinese Super League side Beijing Guoan.
