
Gareth Southgate defends England team’s decision to take the knee but admits he ‘alienated’ some people
The IndependentStay ahead of the curve with our weekly guide to the latest trends, fashion, relationships and more Stay ahead of the curve with our weekly guide to the latest trends, fashion, relationships and more Stay ahead of the curve with our weekly guide to the latest trends, fashion, relationships and more SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Former England manager Gareth Southgate has defended the team’s decision to take the knee during the 2020 Euros, though he admitted it “alienated” some people. The gesture, popularised by NFL player Colin Kaepernick in solidarity with the Black Lives Matter movement, involves players kneeling on one knee and gained prominence following George Floyd’s murder in 2020. open image in gallery Southgate and his players took the knee as a stand against anti-racism “And also there was definitely the moment where we’d experienced some racism as a team, for example. open image in gallery England manager Gareth Southgate says taking a knee to highlight racial injustice has built unity within his squad “But I felt it was an important message for young people in our country, people of all communities, because the shirt is about the whole of our country and about every community, and I think we started to connect more communities to the team than had been the case in the past.” Southgate has previously said that the decision to take the knee was an attempt to have racism discussed more openly.
History of this topic

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