«No Room for Racism»: Why did representatives of 5 clubs reject the symbolic gesture?
As part of the regular match round in the English Premier League, the traditional «No Room for Racism» campaign was remembered for unexpected situations that caught the public's attention.
According to the competition regulations, players were supposed to take a knee when entering the pitch to show solidarity against any form of racism and discrimination. However, 6 players representing five different EPL clubs openly refused to participate in this action.
Who are the 6 players who refused to take a knee?
The list of protesting players includes a number of well-known names:
«Bournemouth»: Tyler Adams and Ryan;
«Leeds United»: Dominic Calvert-Lewin;
«Ipswich Town»: Issa Diop;
«Everton»: Ainsley Maitland-Niles.
Although none of them took a knee, they stood on the pitch and expressed their support for the idea of the fight by applauding.
«This is not just a football problem»: Marc Guéhi's sharp comment
«Manchester City» defender Marc Guéhi explained his position in detail, hinting that the current form of the campaign is not yielding the expected results. His statement to the BBC caused widespread discussion:
Initial attitude: «I haven't taken a knee for a long time. I always applaud to show what this action actually means;
Depth of the problem: However, I think this is not just a problem belonging to football pitches, it is a much broader issue in society. And football is merely a tool that inspires hope in conveying the right message to people;
Need to change the format: Of course, it's good that the idea of this campaign hasn't lost its relevance yet. But we can do much more practical work. I think the time has come to seriously reconsider how this campaign should be continued in the future», — the player concluded.
From symbolic gestures to practical measures
Many athletes and experts view the tradition of taking a knee, which has been ongoing in the EPL for several years, simply as «eye-wash» or a mere formality.
Such actions by football stars show that the time has come to move from repetitive gestures against racism to real legal measures and impactful promotional work.
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