Ian Wright has backed the England Women's team after they decided not to take the knee ahead of their Euro 2025 semi-final against Italy. The former Arsenal and England striker said the gesture is a 'personal' choice and that players should be free to decide for themselves.
The Lionesses had been taking the knee throughout the tournament in Switzerland to show their stance against racism, following online abuse directed at defender Jess Carter. However, ahead of Tuesday's match, the team opted to stand instead, with Lucy Bronze stating that the gesture no longer sends a strong enough message.
Speaking on ITV, Wright said: 'For me personally, if I was playing now for everything the knee represents, I would probably still take the knee - even if I had to do it on my own. But in respect of Jess, the priority is that she's OK.' He added that families must make their children 'resilient' towards racist abuse, as progress against discrimination has been too slow.
Bronze explained the team's reasoning, saying: 'It's just not enough. There are small changes being made, but we don't want it to be small steps anymore. We want change.' The gesture, adopted by many football teams after George Floyd's death in 2020, has been a symbol of anti-discrimination, but England now seek new ways to make their views known.
