Manchester City defender Marc Guehi opted not to take the knee before his team's Premier League home game against Ipswich on Saturday. The match was part of the league's "No Room For Racism" campaign, which is currently in its first of two dedicated rounds of fixtures.
Speaking on Monday, Guehi suggested the anti-racism gesture, introduced in June 2020, may have lost its impact. He stated, "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 also expressed a desire for more action in the sport's fight against racism, adding, "Whether more can be done — more can always be done."
Guehi is not the only player to step away from the gesture. Leeds striker Dominic Calvert-Lewin also stood during his team's match against Manchester United, with Leeds manager Daniel Farke noting that individuals show respect for the campaign in different ways. Wilfried Zaha, then at Crystal Palace, similarly stopped taking the knee in 2021, describing it as "degrading."