Lucy Bronze explains England’s decision to stop taking the knee after Jess Carter abuse
Lionesses say ‘another way’ needed to fight racism, rather than taking knee
- The England Lionesses have decided to stand before their Euro 2025 semi-final against Italy, abandoning the anti-racism gesture of taking the knee which they began after the death of George Floyd.
- This decision follows the "vile" racist abuse received by defender Jess Carter on social media during the tournament.
- Players, including Lucy Bronze and manager Sarina Wiegman, said that the impact of taking the knee has diminished and is no longer considered effective enough to combat ongoing racism.
- The team believes that "we and football need to find another way to tackle racism", with Bronze noting that despite the growth of women's football, online abuse is worsening.
- Anti-discrimination group Kick It Out supported the Lionesses' decision, calling on social media companies to take greater responsibility and do more to prevent exposure to online toxicity.