August 9 – Premier League captains have confirmed that players will once again take the knee before specific matches during the upcoming season to demonstrate their ongoing commitment to fight racism and all forms of discrimination.
Players will take the knee during the opening and closing rounds of Premier League fixtures.
The action was first taken in the Premier League in June 2020 in a game between Aston Villa and Sheffield United which followed the murder of George Floyd in the United States a month earlier.
For two seasons, every match in the English top flight then saw players taking the knee before kickoff as a show of their solidarity. However that was changed last summer in order to maximise the impact of the stance.
As well as the opening and final match rounds of the season, players will also take the knee during dedicated No Room For Racism fixtures in October and April, as well as the Boxing Day fixtures.
In a statement, the Premier League captains said: “We are unified in our belief that any form of discrimination has no place within football, or wider society, and are committed to using our platform to help celebrate diversity and show our support in the fight against racism.
“Therefore, we will continue to show solidarity by taking the knee at significant moments during the forthcoming season. Diversity is central to the success of the game and we feel strongly that people should respect others, regardless of their ethnicity or background.”
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