[ 2021-03-14 ]

Why Wilfried Zaha has decided against taking the knee in Premier League games
Crystal Palace forward Wilfried Zaha became the
first Premier League player not to take a knee in
solidarity with the anti-racist movement before
Saturday’s match against West Bromwich Albion.

Cote d’Ivoire international Zaha stood tall
while the rest of his Palace team-mates and their
opponents kneeled just before kick-off at Selhurst
Park.

The 28-year-old revealed last month when speaking
at the Financial Times’ Business of Football
summit he would no longer perform a gesture which
has been followed by Premier League players,
officials and staff since June.

“My decision to stand at kick-off has been
public knowledge for a couple of weeks now,”
Zaha said in a statement released on Saturday.



“There is no right or wrong decision, but for me
personally 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.

“I know there is a lot of work being done behind
the scenes at the Premier League and other
authorities to make change, and I fully respect
that, and everyone involved. I also fully respect
my team-mates and players at other clubs who
continue to take the knee.

“As a society, I feel we should be encouraging
better education in schools, and social media
companies should be taking stronger action against
people who abuse others online – not just
footballers.

“I now just want to focus on football and enjoy
being back playing on the pitch. I will continue
to stand tall.”

Zaha joins Championship clubs Millwall, Derby,
Bournemouth and Brentford in no longer taking part
in kneeling before matches.

The gesture was brought in as a way to promote the
anti-racism message after the death in police
custody of George Floyd in the United States last
May sparked a rise in Black Lives Matter protests.

Source - Citinewsroom

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