Chelsea football star Fernando Torres was seen being prayed for by teammate David Luiz live on TV just prior to the kick-off of the club’s Champions League match this week.
Sky Sports pundit Ruud Gullit commented that he’d never seen a player being prayed for by another player on the pitch but said David’s prayer was “nice to see”.
David Luiz, who has links with Brazilian organisation Athletes for Christ, has never hidden his Christian beliefs and says his faith gives him strength and inspiration.
Faith
He was famous at his previous club, Benfica, for stickers on a van that he used to drive to training – one saying ‘Christ is life’, and the other ‘God is Faith’.
In 2009 Christian players in Brazil’s football team were ordered by football’s governing body, FIFA, to stop making displays of their faith during matches.
Ban
Several of the national side’s players, including Real Madrid star Kaka, wore T-shirts bearing slogans such as ‘I belong to Jesus’ underneath their shirts during the Confederations Cup final.
But FIFA warned the team that such displays on the pitch were against the rules, and went on to also ban prayer in the last World Cup.