Players are not obliged to keep their indignation about racism to themselves
The decision by the England football squad to “take the knee” was a landmark in recognising that racism is a pernicious blight on the game. This has been a slow process spanning decades, but it has gained momentum since the murder of George Floyd last year. There is a crisis in the sport: black players, who are over-represented on the pitch, are abused on and off it.
Non-white footballers in the world’s richest league face horrendous racism online. Racist match taunts have not disappeared. The England football team has debated walking off the pitch rather than putting up with abuse. Footballers in Euro 2020 ought to be congratulated for pre-match kneeling to show their opposition to racism.
