It is uncertain whether Premier League clubs will continue to protest racism on one knee before matches this season, the report said. BBC. Club captains at the highest level in England have already met on the subject, but no final decision has yet been reached. Another meeting will come after the captain has discussed with their teammates.
Premier League clubs have started ‘taking the knee’ after the initial competition stop due to the corona pandemic. Hoping to raise awareness about the racism issue, all clubs participated by resting on one knee before each game. However, some players and teams dropped out early. Crystal Palace striker Wilfried Zaha, for example, stopped making the gesture in February 2021. “Currently, it doesn’t matter if we kneel or stand, some of us continue to be taunted,” he explained. Championship clubs such as Derby County, Brentford, Bournemouth and Queens Park Rangers also stopped the anti-racism gesture in early 2021.
Many players today think that the gesture loses its desired impact. The Premier League has indicated that it wants to fully support the wishes of the players. The competition is expected to make an official statement on the subject soon. The season opener between Crystal Palace and Arsenal is scheduled for Friday.
The protest on one knee has its origins in the United States. American football player Colin Kaepernick was the first to protest in such a way in 2016. The lack of attention to racial inequality and racist police brutality in the United States were his motivations. Virgil van Dijk and Georginio Wijnaldum, among others, have championed greater awareness of racism in recent years.
Related
More sports news
