Gareth Southgate has announced that England’s players will take a knee before their World Cup opener against Iran on Monday.
Since George Floyd’s death in 2020, the Three Lions have performed the anti-racism gesture before their matches.
Following recent discussions, they have decided to continue with the gesture during the tournament in Qatar.
“It’s what we stand for as a team and have done for a long time,” Southgate said.
“We believe this is the most significant, and we believe it is a strong statement that will go around the world to show young people, in particular, that inclusivity is very important.”
Following football’s return from the Covid-19 shutdown in the summer of 2020, Premier League players will also take a knee before matches.
Before the start of this season, it was decided to use specific moments throughout the season to take a knee rather than making the gesture at every match.
Meanwhile, the Football Association is seeking clarification on whether captains will be booked if they wear the OneLove Armband during World Cup matches.
Nine captains, including England and Wales, had planned to wear the OneLove armband to promote diversity and inclusion.
On the eve of the tournament, however, Fifa announced new armbands in collaboration with three United Nations agencies.
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On the eve of the tournament, however, Fifa announced new armbands in collaboration with three United Nations agencies.
The FA contacted Fifa about the armband in September but received no response. Their stance was that they were willing to accept a fine.
They’re hoping to hear something later on Sunday before the match against Iran on Monday.
Source: BBC
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