Marc Guehi says more can be done to tackle racism after standing for knee gesture
The Manchester City defender said taking the knee may have lost its meaning, but welcomed the Premier League’s anti-racism campaign and called for further action.
Manchester City defender Marc Guehi said on Monday, 19 October, that more could be done to tackle racism in football after he stood instead of taking the knee before City’s Premier League home match against Ipswich on Saturday, 17 October. Asked whether the gesture had lost its meaning, he answered, ‘Maybe.’ His comments put the purpose of the gesture in focus during the league’s No Room For Racism campaign.
At a news conference ahead of City’s Champions League match against AEK Athens, Guehi welcomed the campaign’s continuation. ‘Whether more can be done — more can always be done,’ he said. He hoped to explore further action with the Professional Footballers’ Association and the Premier League, without setting out a specific proposal.
Why Guehi stands during the knee gesture
Guehi said he had not taken the knee ‘for a while’ and instead clapped because of what the gesture signifies. He did not give a fuller personal explanation for choosing to stand. His answer about its meaning was qualified: ‘Maybe,’ rather than a categorical judgment that the gesture no longer matters.
He described racism as a wider societal issue, saying football could be ‘that beacon of hope’ for getting the message out. His call for more action was therefore broader than the decision players make before kick-off. He said the league’s continuing campaign was ‘great’ even as he questioned whether the gesture still had the same impact.
How the Premier League uses the gesture
The Ipswich match was in the first of two rounds of fixtures dedicated to No Room For Racism. Since the start of the 2022–23 season, the Premier League has invited players to take the knee on selected occasions rather than before every match. The gesture was introduced in June 2020 to show support for the Black Lives Matter campaign.
Guehi was not the only player to stand over the weekend. Leeds striker Dominic Calvert-Lewin stood while his teammates and Manchester United’s players knelt. Leeds manager Daniel Farke said individuals show respect for the campaign in different ways; Calvert-Lewin scored in the teams’ 1-1 draw. LBC also reported that Ipswich defender Issa Diop did not take part before the City match.
There is precedent for a player questioning the gesture while opposing racism. In 2021, former Crystal Palace player Wilfried Zaha called taking the knee ‘degrading’ and said its meaning risked becoming something people simply did. Premier League chief executive Richard Masters said the current campaign uses players’ reach to convey unity in the fight against racism.
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Sources and context
- Marc Guehi says 'more can be done' to tackle racism after refusing to take the kneeThe Independent (report by Sam Brookes; Yahoo Sports carries the article)
- 'Taking the knee has lost its impact': England star Mark Guehi calls for more action to tackle racism in footballLBC (report by Stephen Rigley)
AI-assisted article checked against the listed sources. NewsJaws did not conduct interviews or attend the reported events.