England play against Iran on Monday
Gareth Southgate has confirmed that England will take the knee before their World Cup opener against Iran on Monday.
The Three Lions have carried out the anti-racism gesture since 2020 and following recent discussions, have decided to continue doing so while out in Qatar.
“It’s what we stand for as a team and have done for a long period of time,” explained Southgate.
“We feel this is the biggest and we think it’s a strong statement that will go around the world for young people, in particular, to see that inclusivity is very important.”
🗣️ "We think it's a strong statement."
Gareth Southgate has confirmed that England will take the knee before tomorrow’s game against Iran 🏴 pic.twitter.com/xDoXPtTtZE
— Sky Sports News (@SkySportsNews) November 20, 2022
Premier League and EFL clubs had also been taking the knee as of 2020 however at the start of this season it was decided that they would use specific moments to take the knee as oppose to every game.
Iran’s place at the World Cup has been questioned due to the ongoing unrest in the country where women and men have been protesting against the enforced wearing of thee hijab.
Southgate also confirmed that James Maddison and Kyle Walker will be the only absentees for their game against Iran.
Walker publicly declared that he wouldn’t be available and his manager said that the Manchester City full-back may not even be ready until after the group stages.
Maddison meanwhile is training alone as he recovers from an injury sustained during Leicester City’s win against West Ham before he joined the squad.
The midfielder is likely to be fit enough to be in contention for England’s following group games against the USA and Wales.
Related links:
- A supercomputer has just predicted how England will fare at the World Cup… and it doesn’t look good
- Iran activists urge England fans to join Mahsa Amini protest during World Cup opener
- FootballJOE’s World Cup predictions: Winners, flops, dark horses, golden boot and breakout star
