Sports
PLAYERS “should stand tall” and taking the knee is “becoming something we just do”, according to Wilfried Zaha.
The Crystal Palace forward, 28, also reiterated his view that taking the knee is “degrading”.
Premier League players have continued ‘taking a knee’ – an initiative adopted last season after the rise of the Black Lives Matter movement.
“It feels like we are isolating ourselves from these things that are not working anyway,” he said.
Last week, Zaha questioned the purpose of taking a knee before the start of a match while speaking on the On The Judy podcast.
He also said: “Why must I even wear Black Lives Matter on the back of my top to show you that we matter? This is all degrading stuff.”
Speaking at the FT Business of Football summit, he added: “Growing up, my parents let me know I should be proud to be black. We should stand tall.
“With taking a knee, sometimes people forget we have to do it. It is becoming something we just do. That is not enough for me.”
Zaha said he was wary of being used as a mouthpiece for the fight against racism, saying he is asked for interviews in order to “tick a box”.
This week Championship side Brentford said their players would stop taking a knee before games because they felt the gesture against discrimination no longer had the required impact.
QPR and Middlesbrough are two other sides in the league to have stopped the gesture.
Zaha also spoke about his Palace future.
The Ivory Coast international still has more than two years left on the contract he signed in 2018, something he hinted was a mistake because it has proved prohibitive for clubs that potentially wanted to sign him.
“Sometimes you and your agent have different interests,” he said. “They may advise you to do certain things then, when you have done it, it is, ‘why have I done that?’
“I have been at Palace since I was eight. I have given my all to the club. But I am very ambitious. Everyone knows that. I want to play at the highest level and win trophies to show my kids. If there are opportunities I will have a look at them.”
BBC Sport
– Feb. 19, 2021 @ 10:48 GMT |
Tags: 'Players should stand tall taking a knee is degrading' - Zaha
