Borussia Dortmund and Hertha Berlin, along with match officials, took a knee around the centre circle in silence before their late kick-off. The Dortmund players also wore warm up t-shirts with various messages including “No justice, no peace.”

Third-tier Waldhof Mannheim and Viktoria Cologne, and officials, did likewise as the public address system broadcast and anti-racism message before their match.

Bundesliga leaders Bayern Munich wore ‘Red against Racism’ t-shirts before their game at Bayer Leverkusen while Mainz’s Pierre Kunde also kneeled after scoring away to Eintracht Frankfurt, copying the protest form sparked by American football quarterback Colin Kaepernick in 2016.

“Of course it came from the team,” Bayern coach Hansi Flick said. “That shouldn’t be an issue anymore, but unfortunately it is because there are still many idiots who react differently.”

Captain Manuel Neuer added: “There is permanently the message from us players: We are tolerant, we are open, we are cosmopolitan.”

The German federation (DFB) said this week that Weston McKennie from Schalke, Borussia Dortmund’s Jadon Sancho and Achraf Hakimi, and Borussia Moenchengladbach’s Marcus Thuram would not face sanctions for their protests from last weekend.

The quartet were showing solidarity with George Floyd who died in police custody in the United States.

Political statements are normally forbidden during matches under rules of the world governing body FIFA.

But DFB control committee chairman Anton Nachreiner said the players had engaged in “targeted anti-racism-events which support values for which the DFB also stands and will always support.

“Therefore no proceedings are initiated, which will also be the case for similar anti-racism actions over the coming weeks,” he said.

Several players and clubs had also posted anti-racism messages on social media throughout the week.