Guehi explains why he no longer takes the knee during Premier League anti-racism campaign

Manchester City defender Marc Guehi did not take the knee before Saturday’s Premier League home fixture against Ipswich, saying the anti-racism gesture may have lost its meaning and that he prefers to show his support by clapping.

The match was part of the first of two rounds of fixtures dedicated to the Premier League’s ‘No Room For Racism’ campaign. Guehi, speaking at a press conference on Monday ahead of City’s Champions League match against AEK Athens, said he welcomed the campaign’s continuation but believed more could always be done to combat racism in football.

“I don’t think it’s necessarily a football issue,” Guehi said. “I think it’s a wider societal issue and football is that beacon of hope to try to get the message out. But whether more can be done, we will try, hopefully with the PFA, with the league.”

Asked directly whether taking the knee had lost its meaning, Guehi said: “Maybe. I haven’t been taking the knee for a while now, to be honest. I’d always clap, just because of what that actually signifies.” He did not elaborate further on his personal reasons.

Guehi was not alone in standing during the gesture at the weekend. Leeds striker Dominic Calvert-Lewin also remained upright while teammates and Manchester United players knelt during the sides’ 1-1 draw, in which Calvert-Lewin scored. Leeds manager Daniel Farke explained the decision after the match.

“Dom is more or less like, ‘No, I don’t go down. I show my respect by standing up, more or less,’” Farke said. “I think each individual is different and shows respect for this campaign in a different way.”

The Premier League introduced taking the knee in June 2020 in support of the Black Lives Matter movement. Since the start of the 2022-23 season, the league has moved away from the practice before every match, instead inviting players to perform the gesture on selected occasions throughout the campaign.

Guehi is not the first player to step back from the ritual. In 2021, Wilfried Zaha — then at Crystal Palace — publicly stated he would no longer take the knee, describing it as “degrading” and saying he preferred to stand tall as a mark of pride in his identity.