Arsenal–Man. City Game Removed From Broadcast Schedule by China State TV: Report

Ethnic Uyghur boys hold placards with pictures of English soccer club Arsenal's midfielder Mesut Ozil during a protest against China in Istanbul, Turkey on Dec. 14, 2019. The placard reads: "Thank you, Mesut Ozil, on behalf of 35 million oppressed." Kemal Aslan/Reuters

SHANGHAI—China’s state broadcaster CCTV on Dec. 15 removed Arsenal’s Premier League game against Manchester City from its broadcast schedule following Mesut Ozil’s messages that criticized the country’s policy toward its Muslim Uyghur minority.

The Global Times newspaper said on its Twitter account on Dec. 15 that CCTV made the decision after midfielder Ozil’s comments on Dec. 14 had “disappointed fans and football governing authorities.”