Guehi: Time to 'move along' taking the knee campaign — SkimNews
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- Marc Guehi told reporters before Manchester City's Champions League game that he has not taken the knee "for a while" and claps instead, arguing racism is a "wider societal issue" beyond football and that the campaign should "move along" while keeping its message visible
- Six players across five clubs chose to remain standing during this weekend's No Room for Racism fixtures: Tyler Adams, Rayan (both Bournemouth), Dominic Calvert-Lewin (Leeds), Issa Diop (Ipswich), Guehi (Manchester City) and Ainsley Maitland-Niles (Everton)
- Leeds manager Daniel Farke defended Calvert-Lewin's stance, quoting him as saying "no, I don't go down. I show my respect by standing up," while calling the campaign a good topic that highlights how dressing rooms model integration
- Wilfried Zaha became the first Premier League player to stop taking the knee in 2021, explaining that "kneeling has just become a part of the pre-match routine" while players continued to face abuse
- The Premier League confirmed taking the knee is "a decision led by the players" and that it is "supportive of whatever stance they choose to take, collectively or individually," with captains having agreed to limit the gesture to October's Black History Month fixtures
- Kick It Out told BBC Sport the gesture "still has value in raising awareness" but acknowledged "the reasons players might become frustrated with the pace of change," noting reports of discrimination and racism to the charity more than doubled between 2021-22 and 2025-26, hitting record levels last season
- England's Lionesses stopped taking the knee after defender Jess Carter received racist online abuse during last summer's Women's Euros, with manager Sarina Wiegman stating "Taking the knee, that's not enough. The impact is not good enough"
Why it matters: Kick It Out's own data shows reports of discrimination and racism to the charity more than doubled and reached record levels during the same period the taking-the-knee campaign has been running — a concrete contradiction between the Premier League's stated aim and the on-the-ground trajectory of abuse, which is why high-profile players like Guehi and the Lionesses are publicly questioning whether the gesture still works.
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