Premier League clubs took the knee this weekend for the first time this season as part of October's No Room for Racism campaign. But six players across five clubs chose to remain standing during the pre-match gesture: Speaking before Manchester City's Champions League game on Tuesday, Guehi was asked whether it had lost its impact. "I haven't been taking the knee for a while now.
I always clap, just because of what that actually signifies," said the England international. "I don't think it's necessarily a football issue, I think it's a wider societal issue and football is just that beacon of hope to try and get the message out. "The message is still there, which is great.
I think we should see how we can move the campaign along." The Premier League maintains that taking the knee is "a decision led by the players" and that it is "supportive of whatever stance they choose to take, collectively or individually". Why are Premier League clubs still taking the knee? Premier League players began taking the knee in 2020 following the death of George Floyd and the subsequent Black Lives Matter protests.
The campaign was limited to selected matches following an agreement by club captains before the 2022-23 campaign. This season, captains agreed to take the knee during October's No Room For Racism fixtures, which coincide with Black History Month in the UK. The other five players who did not take the knee this weekend have not publicly commented, but Leeds manager Daniel Farke explained Calvert-Lewin's position.
"Dom is more or less like, 'no, I don't go down. I show my respect by standing up'. Every individual is different and shows respect for this campaign in a different way," said Farke.
"It's definitely a good campaign and a good topic that football and sports, in general, support situations like this because a dressing room is a perfect example of how we should all live together." Former Crystal Palace forward Wilfried Zaha became the first Premier League player to stop taking the knee in 2021. "I feel kneeling has just become a part of the pre-match routine and at the moment it doesn't matter whether we kneel or stand, some of us still continue to receive abuse," he said at the time. Announcing this month's campaign,, external the Premier League said: "Players will be taking the knee before kick-off during the next two match rounds to show unity against all forms of discrimination." Kick It Out told BBC Sport that taking the knee "still has value in raising awareness" but that they "understand the reasons players might become frustrated with the pace of change".
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