Explainers

ENGLAND enter Euro 2020 with tensions between the players and some fans rumbling on over the taking of the knee.The Three Lions have stated that they will perform the gesture throughout the tournament, though a section of supporters have made their disapproval known by booing it before games.
WIN £50,000! Play Dream Team Euros – our FREE fantasy football game
England have been booed by a section of their supporters while taking the kneeCredit: AFP
In England’s warm-up matches against both Austria and Romania, a mix of boos and applause for the gesture was heard.
Why do England take the knee?
England, like all Premier League clubs over the past season, state that they take the knee in support of racial equality.
Rejecting the idea that it is a political gesture, Gareth Southgate said: “I think we have got a situation where some people seem to think it is a political stand that they don’t agree with.
“That is not the reason the players are doing it. We are supporting each other.

“So, I was pleased that was drowned out by the majority of the crowd, but we can’t deny the fact that it happened.
“I think the most important thing for our players to know is that all their team-mates, all the staff, are fully supportive.
“I think the majority of people understand it.
“I think some people aren’t quite understanding the message, and I suppose we are seeing that across a number of football grounds at the moment.”
And Jordan Henderson said: “I think it shows that, if there’s still people booing because we’re standing together against racism, then there really still is a problem and we’ve still got to fight it and stand together on that.
“It shows even more that we have to keep going, keep fighting it. From our side, it’s about being together and doing what we think is right – and that’s what we feel is right.”
⚽Get ALL of the latest England news and updates from Euro 2020
Gareth Southgate insists there is no political message behind England’s decision to kneelCredit: AP
Jordan Henderson has insisted that the booing makes the team more determined to kneelCredit: AFP
Why do some England fans boo the knee?
Sadly it is likely that some England fans are booing the idea of racial equality itself, though none are known to have openly said this.
The most common complaints from supporters revolve around the perception of it being a political gesture, the players “lecturing” them and a perceived association with the Black Lives Matter movement.
Andrew, a fan from Lincoln who booed, told BBC Radio 1: “Booing is a way football fans can communicate dissatisfaction.
He added that he sees the knee as “an identity politics agenda that focuses on black people and skin colour, when as far as I am concerned we are all England fans regardless of colour.”
And he finished: “Some seem to genuinely believe booing is an act of racism – I reject that.”
A twitter user who supported the booing stated: “If I want to watch politics, I’d switch on Westminster Live.”
Reasons such as opposition to Black Lives Matter or keeping politics out of football have been given by England fans who booCredit: Getty
The Free Speech Union, who represented a Cambridge United fan who was banned until he could satisfy the club he wasn’t a racist, provided the following explanation for his actions.
“In the case of our member, he didn’t boo because he disapproves of BLM, but because he wants to keep politics out of football.
“Why shouldn’t he be allowed to express that view, provided he does so in a lawful and peaceful way?
“We take no view on the politics of BLM – we would be taking our member’s side if he’d been punished for applauding the players’ gesture or roaring his approval.”
How did taking the knee start?
Kneeling throughout history has been a gesture of prayer and Reverend Martin Luther King led civil rights protesters to take the knee in prayer in 1965.
However, the knee as a gesture in sport was started by NFL player Colin Kaepernick in 2015.
The then-49ers quarterback began the protest by sitting down during the US national anthem.
He stated of the gesture: “I am not going to stand up to show pride in a flag for a country that oppresses black people and people of color.
“To me, this is bigger than football and it would be selfish on my part to look the other way.
“There are bodies in the street and people getting paid leave and getting away with murder.”
Taking the knee in sport was popularised by Colin KaepernickCredit: EPA
However, after Kaepernick sat down, a former US Green Beret – Nate Boyer – wrote him a personal letter explaining that while he supported the cause he was protesting for, he was disappointed that he had chosen to express his views in the way he did.
After that, Kaepernick decided to meet up with Boyer and they agreed that rather than sitting, Kaepernick would kneel for the anthem.
That gesture, they perceived, was a more respectful one as it is typically used as to honour fallen members of the armed forces.
Do footballers take the knee for Black Lives Matter?
Though supporters of the Black Lives Matter movement do take the knee, footballers have stated that they are not kneeling for this reason.
The knee in English football was adopted after the murder of African-American George Floyd by white police officer Derek Chauvin in May 2020.
At the time, the Premier League and its clubs explicitly did support Black Lives Matter, with the organisation’s logo sewn onto every player’s shirt.
However, after a statue of Winston Churchill was vandalised by BLM protesters in London and the BLM UK Twitter account criticised the state of Israel, the Premier League moved to distance itself from the cause.
The Black Lives Matter logo was stitched onto all Premier League shirts in 2019/20 but scrapped before the start of 2020/21Credit: Reuters
Arsenal are one of the clubs who still show the Black Lives Matter logo in their stadiumCredit: Reuters
The Black Lives Matter U.K. account tweeted: “As Israel moves forward with the annexation of the West Bank, and mainstream British politics is gagged of the right to critique Zionism, and Israel’s settler colonial pursuits, we loudly and clearly stand beside our Palestinian comrades.
“Free Palestine.”
When the 2020/21 season started, English football clubs agreed that rather than kneeling in solidarity with Black Lives Matter, they would kneel in support of a new No Room For Racism campaign.
However, a number of clubs continued to display the Black Lives Matter logo prominently in their stadiums throughout the season.
What is the FA’s view on taking the knee?
FA Equality, Diversity & Inclusion Director Edleen John stated that the FA supports the players’ right to protest in support of racial equality.
She added: “When you’re booing players taking a knee, you are booing the right of those individuals to have a voice and to protest against inequality.”
The FA has not given a view on whether it supports action being taken against fans who boo the knee.
However, unlike overt racist abuse, booing the knee is not thought to be a criminal offence.
“When you’re booing players taking a knee, you are booing the right of those individuals to have a voice and to protest against inequality.”FA Equality, Diversity & Inclusion Director Edleen John explains the FA’s stance on taking a knee in English football. pic.twitter.com/EZubJ3Kj9d— Sky Sports News (@SkySportsNews) May 25, 2021

What has the global reaction to the knee been?
Most national teams do not generally take the knee in their matches, but do if they are playing against England, Wales or Ireland.
(Scotland have been taking the knee but chose to stop in March and Steve Clarke has stated that they have yet to make a decision on kneeling in Euro 2020.)
However, this is not always the case, with Czech Republic refusing to kneel against Wales and Poland doing likewise against England.
Both teams chose instead to perform the “apolitical” anti-racism gesture of pointing to the Uefa Respect logo on the sleeves of their shirts.
Poland are one of the teams who have chosen not to take the kneeCredit: Getty
Two Romania players chose not to kneel against EnglandCredit: Ian Hodgson – The Daily Mail
When England played Romania, two Romanian players chose not to kneel.
Nicolae Stanciu stated that he had refused to kneel in support of Slavia Prague team-mate Ondrej Kudela, who received a ten-game ban from Uefa for racially abusing Rangers’ Glen Kamara.
The other player, Ionut Nedelcearu wrote on Instagram that he “did not feel that I should do it out of a simple obligation.
He added: “My view and attitude towards life is that the messages that we as members of the society should send against racism should be much clearer and should concern all the manifestations of racism that we experience in our daily lives.
“From my standpoint it is rather hypocritical to believe that we fulfill our duty against racism simply by obeying an order to kneel!”
In Hungary’s Euro 2020 warm-up with Ireland meanwhile, the Hungarian team chose not to take the knee while the Irish did and were roundly booed by the 15,000 crowd.
The Republic of Ireland’s players were booed and jeered by some Hungary fans as they took a knee before kick-off in their friendly in Budapest. pic.twitter.com/15npHfKZcE— Sky Sports Football (@SkyFootball) June 8, 2021 More

EURO 2020 is here and Andreas Ekberg will join the refereeing team.The Swede is a rising star in his homeland and the only official from his country to be named for the tournament.
Andreas Ekberg will be officiating at Euro 2020Credit: Times Newspapers Ltd
Here’s all you need to know about him.
Who is Andreas Ekberg?
Andreas Ekberg was born in Malmo, Sweden in 1985.
He became a referee in 2004 and was appointed to the Swedish top flight in 2009, at the age of just 24.
In 2013, he became a Uefa referee as he took charge of two Europa League qualifiers and made his international debut by officiating Ireland’s 3-0 friendly win over Latvia.
Then in 2018 he made his full Champions League debut by officiating Man City’s 2-1 victory over Hoffenheim.
This season, Ekberg has taken charge of three Champions League group games – Basaksehir vs PSG, Marseille vs Porto and Dynamo Kiev vs Ferencvaros.
He was also in charge of Arsenal’s 1-1 Europa League quarter-final draw at home to Slavia Prague.
Additionally, Ekberg was one of the foreign officials trusted to referee in the Greece’s Super League.
Under Greek law, all derby matches must be officiated by foreign referees to prevent corruption.
And Ekberg was in charge as Olympiacos ran out 4-1 winners way to Panathinaikos in the play-off round in May.
How the top pundits of the two channels stack up against each other More

EURO 2020 is on its way and one new feature of the tournament looks set to be the differing stance teams will take against racism.England have become embroiled in a big row with the players condemning fans who booed them taking the knee against Austria and Romania.
England will continue taking the knee throughout Euro 2020Credit: PA
And manager Gareth Southgate said the players are even more determined to take the knee following the booing.
Here’s what all 24 teams will be doing during the tournament.
Which teams are taking the knee at Euro 2020?
England
England will continue to take the knee during Euro 2020, as they have been since the murder of George Floyd last year.
The team have stated that they believe the gesture is not a political one and designed simply to show support for racial equality.
Gareth Southgate said: “I think we have got a situation where some people seem to think it is a political stand that they don’t agree with.
“That is not the reason the players are doing it. We are supporting each other.”
Wales
Wales and France take the knee in a pre-Euro 2020 friendlyCredit: Reuters
Wales have taken the knee over the past year and will continue to do so.
Interim manager Rob Page said: “We had a meeting and we all think it’s still important to take the knee.
“That’s the message we’ve given out. We’re all in it together and there were no issues.”
Belgium
Belgium are the only non-British team to announce they will take the knee throughout Euro 2020.
Romelu Lukaku said of any negative reactions: “I don’t care. I fight for diversity.
“Not only for the black community, also for the women. Colour, sexuality, faith, it doesn’t matter. Everybody should be respected.”
Switzerland
Switzerland did take the knee in their opening Euro 2020 game against Wales.
It is not known whether they will take the knee in their remaining matches.
Which teams will not take the knee at Euro 2020?
Hungary
Hungary point to the Uefa Respect badge as Ireland take the kneeCredit: Reuters
The Hungarian FA are the first association to confirm they will not take the knee at Euro 2020.
In a statement they said they view the knee as a political gesture in defiance of Uefa and Fifa rules.
It read: “The basic values ​​of the sport are equal opportunities, respect for the teammate and the opponent.
“Football may have become the most popular sport in the world because it belongs to everyone.
“The Hungarian national team not only follows the international rules and norms in all cases, but also pays tribute to everyone – be it an opponent, a fan or anyone else.
“MLSZ has been fighting all forms of hatred for years as part of the ‘Hate is not a track’ campaign.
“The rules of UEFA and FIFA do not allow politicization on the pitch and in the stadium either, which the MLSZ not only accepts but also agrees with.
“The national team will not express its condemnation of any form of hatred by kneeling before the matches.”
During their warm-up game against Ireland, Hungary pointed to the Uefa Respect logo on the sleeves of their shirts while the Irish team took the knee and were booed by a sizeable portion of the 15,000 crowd.
The Republic of Ireland’s players were booed and jeered by some Hungary fans as they took a knee before kick-off in their friendly in Budapest. pic.twitter.com/15npHfKZcE— Sky Sports Football (@SkyFootball) June 8, 2021

Croatia
England’s first opponents at Euro 2020 do not intend to take the knee.
An official statement read: “CFF and the players are against any form of discrimination.
“But the FA provides the players with the right to choose, as the act itself isn’t a part of Croatian culture and heritage.
“The players chose not to kneel down before the Belgium game, but they’ve taken a respectful stance towards the gesture made by their Belgium colleagues.”
Italy
Italy did not take the knee in their opening match against Turkey.
It is not known whether they will take the knee against Wales.
Turkey
Turkey did not take the knee in their opening match against Italy.
It is not known whether they will take the knee against Wales.
Denmark
Denmark did not take the knee in their Euro 2020 opener against Finland.
It is not known whether they will do so when they play Belgium.
Finland
Finland did not take the knee in their Euro 2020 opener against Denmark.
It is not known whether they will do so when they played Belgium.

What are the other teams doing?

Scotland have made their decision ahead of their opener against Czech Republic
Scotland stars originally said that would NOT be taking a knee prior to their Euro 2020 matches.
The Scottish FA have confirmed they will continue to promote an anti-racist message by standing before matches.
But just a day later, they confirmed that they WILL in their match against England.
Scotland skipper Andy Robertson said: “It is important we continue to tackle the issue of racism and raise awareness of the need to change people’s mindsets but also their behaviours.
“Prior to our World Cup qualifiers in March we spoke as a group and felt that taking a stand was the best way for us to show solidarity and also to reinforce the need for meaningful change in society.”

Russia
Russia have not made any public comment on taking the knee but their national team has never performed the gesture.
Russian side Krasnodar allowed their players to make their own decision on kneeling before their Champions League games against Chelsea.
In Russia, four players chose to kneel while at Stamford Bridge eight players decided to perform the gesture.
Lean no
Holland
The Dutch team have a number of players who have been vocal in their support of Black Lives Matter.
However, when they played Scotland and Georgia in their recent warm-up games, both teams chose not to kneel.
Holland have also been vocal in support of improved conditions for migrant workers in Qatar, alongside Norway, Denmark and Germany.
They have made no comment on taking the knee at Euro 2020.
On the fence
Austria
Austria chose to join England in taking the knee in their recent friendly in Middlesbrough.
It is not known whether they will do so in their Euro 2020 games.
On the fence

North Macedonia
North Macedonia have not declared any position on taking the knee.
Lean no
Ukraine
Ukraine have not announced a position on taking the knee.
On the fence

Czech Republic
Czech Republic refused to take the knee in their game against Wales in March and are highly unlikely to do so at Euro 2020.
The Czechs decided to point to the Uefa Respect logo in their sleeves on that occasion as a “neutral, apolitical gesture”.
The players will discuss the gesture again before the Euros.
However they are thought to be less likely than ever to take the knee after being angered by the ten-game suspension Uefa handed down to defender Ondrej Kudela after he was found to have racially abused Rangers’ Glen Kamara.
No chance
Spain
While some La Liga players have shown solidarity with the Black Lives Matter movement, the Spain team have never taken the knee and their clubs also tend not to.
Real Madrid did not take the knee against Chelsea, Liverpool or Manchester City while Villarreal chose not to kneel against Man Utd in the Europa League final.
When Granada played Man Utd, only Brazil winger Kenedy took the knee.
Spain have made no statement on taking the knee at Euro 2020.
Lean no
Sweden
Sweden have not taken the knee in their recent friendlies or made any statement on taking it during the tournament.
On the fence
Poland
Poland point to their Uefa Respect badge as England take the kneeCredit: Getty
Poland are almost certain not to take the knee at Euro 2020 with the gesture being criticised by both their FA president and sections of their support.
The Poles refused to kneel against England and instead pointed to the Uefa Respect logo on their sleeves.
Polish FA President Zbigniew Boniek labelled the gesture “populism” that “achieved nothing” and said: “I am absolutely against such actions.
“Footballers sometimes kneel, and if you asked some of them why they were kneeling, they wouldn’t even know.”
No chance
Slovakia
Slovakia took the knee against Ireland and Scotland last October but were criticised in the Slovakian parliament.
After this, the country’s FA said the players had only taken the knee because they believed Uefa had instructed them to do so and would no longer perform the gesture.
Lean no
Portugal
Portugal have not taken the knee in their warm-up friendlies though many of their Europe-based players have done so in their domestic leagues.
They have made no statement on performing the gesture at the Euros.
On the fence
France
France took the knee in their first warm-up friendly against Wales but not in their second one against Bulgaria.
This would suggest that they will only take the knee during Euro 2020 if the opposition does.
They have made no statement on what they intend to do during the tournament.
On the fence
Germany
Bundesliga players took the knee after the murder of George Floyd last season.
However, the national team have not been kneeling in 2021.
The German team have been vocal in their support of human rights for migrant workers in Qatar.
On the fence More