Women’s European Championship: England abolishes anti-racism gesture

When it comes to football titles, women have to judge in England. While the men’s dry spell has been in large tournaments since the 1966 World Cup title, the “Lionesses” have become European champion in 2022. On Sunday (6 p.m.) you can defend the title in the final against Spain. But the euphoria gets a considerable damper.

Because English football – men and women in turn – suffers from a racism problem. During the European Championship in Switzerland, the attacks on the net were directed against the black player Jess Carter. The defense lawyer from the US club Gotham FC, engages German goalkeeper Ann-Katrin Berger, made the hostility public before the semi-finals against Italy.

Trainer Sarina Wiegman and her teammates publicized themselves publicly with Carter. And they chose a reaction that at first glance has little obvious: the team waived its known gesture against racism.

For years, the footballers have been kneeling down briefly before each game – a sign that has established itself in sports. There was also a knee at the European Championship, sometimes the opponents took part. The English women remained against Italy for the first time in a long time.

“Until now we got on his knees before our games” ,. “It is clear that we and football have to find different ways to combat racism.” Georgia Stanway from FC Bayern said that the gesture had worn out and “did not bring the success that we hoped for it”. Something else has to happen. With the decision not to use them anymore, the team wants to inspire discussions.

Even in the final, the footballers will not kneel down. Instead, the players put themselves arm in arm on the sidelines. Also a sign of cohesion – but it does not work as publicly as the common knee.

The US footballer Colin Kaepernick has established the knee as a gesture against racism. Immediate in the NFL quickly found themselves, the campaign was finally banned to become a political issue and after hot discussions. In other sports and parts of the world, however, it had long since become natural that athletes sink on a knee before their games to set a silent sign against racism.

But often a strong gesture is used inflationarily, quickly to the empty symbol. In the men’s English Premier League, the men have been kneeled week after week until the teams decided in 2022 to do this on special occasions. Now the English women’s national team must also see that the sign of strength has lost – and also did not do as much as hoped.

In England, views about the abolition of the knee are apart. The waiver is “a gift for racists”, wrote a commentator from the daily newspaper “The Guardian”. According to a current survey, more than half of adult football fans in England want, the players may continue to go on their knees. It is even 79 percent for fans with a migration background.

However, the knee was always controversial, both for activists and in politics. The gesture is only a symbol without real consequences, some representatives of the black community criticize. Former British Interior Minister Priti Patel spoke of “gesture policy” a few years ago. Fans would have the right to build players for it.

What remains a theoretical discussion for white actors usually has tangible follows for players like Jess Carter. “I have seen many racist hostility since the beginning of the tournament,” said the 27-year-old. “Even if I am convinced that every fan has the right to an opinion and result, I don’t think it is right or acceptable to target someone because of their appearance or origin.” Then Carter withdrew from social media.

For their teammates and English football, this means the bitter realization: the fight against racism is far from over – and gestures will probably not be enough.