Only in exceptional cases will players in the Premier League take a knee before kick-off in future. This was decided by the captains on Wednesday.
Crystal Palace’s Wilfried Zaha had long called the gesture a “meaningless charade” meant to express solidarity with the Black Lives Matter movement. Brentford FC collectively dispensed with it for a while because of the lost impact, with all other clubs now set to follow suit.
According to a report in the “Times”, the captains of the Premier League clubs have agreed in talks to dispense with the obligatory genuflection in future. This is to be officially announced on Wednesday.
However, the sign against racism on the island will not disappear completely from the stadiums. For selected matches, such as the opening round, the league matches on Boxing Day or the finals in the FA Cup and League Cup, the option of the gesture will remain open.
