This weekend, players across the Premier League are taking a knee in solidarity with the No Room for Racism campaign.
Players across Europe began taking the knee in 2020 following the murder of George Floyd in the United States, with the return of the Premier League following its COVID-19-enforced break seeing players donning ‘Black Lives Matter’ on the back of their shirts in support of the movement.
Players took the knee every week at one point but now sporadically make the gesture – so why is that?
When do players take the knee in the Premier League?
(Image credit: Getty Images)Players only take the knee these days for selected matches.
The Premier League’s opening weekend fixtures saw players across the country take the knee, with the gesture since reserved for ‘No Room for Racism’ weekends.
(Image credit: Getty Images)These weekends are dotted across the season with the hope of drawing more attention to the cause.
The 20 captains of the Premier League sides often decide to make statements such as these, with all of them agreeing this time around to offer the gesture.
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Many Women’s Super League sides have already decided against taking the knee in matches marking Black History Month, believing the act is no longer meaningful.
Of course, it is not mandatory, for players to take a knee.
(Image credit: Getty Images)This weekend, Dominic Calvert-Lewis opted not to, while in the past, Wilf Zaha and Marcos Alonso have refused to take the knee, too.
The Premier League’s No Room for Racism campaign is separate to Black Lives Matter movement of the United States.
