Soccer

English Premier League teams to stop taking knee before every game, do so at 'significant moments'

Premier League players will no longer take the knee ahead of every match, but will do so at "significant moments" during the upcoming season in a gesture against racism.

Gesture started in June 2020 to show support for Black Lives Matter campaign

Watford FC players take a knee before the start of an English Premier League soccer match with visiting Leicester City in May. (Luke Walker/Getty Images)

Premier League players will no longer take the knee ahead of every match, but will do so at "significant moments" during the upcoming season in a gesture against racism.

The gesture, which started in June 2020 to show support for the Black Lives Matter campaign, will now be used more sparingly in order to "amplify the message that racism has no place in football or society."

Premier League captains agreed that teams will take the knee ahead of this weekend's opening round of games, for dedicated "No Room for Racism" matches in October and March, on Boxing Day, the final round of the season and the FA Cup and League Cup finals.

The Premier League captains, who met last week, said in a joint statement: "We have decided to select significant moments to take the knee during the season to highlight our unity against all forms of racism and in so doing we continue to show solidarity for a common cause."

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