Lionesses boss, Sarina Wiegman, has spoken on the recent decision her players have made over taking the knee before the Euro 2025 semi-final.
The Lionesses have ultimately decided against demonstrating the anti-racism gesture before kick off against Italy on Tuesday (July 22) as a way of protesting recent abuse directed at Jess Carter.
The England and Gotham FC defender has received racial abuse online throughout Euro 2025. The shocking nature of the attacks has led to Carter distancing herself from social media.
The police have been cooperating with the national team to identify those guilty of the horrific crimes and bring justice to the matter.
The Lionesses have previously kneeled before kick-off in games to show their commitment to fighting racism, However, the decision to stop doing so has led to some criticism, with anti-discrimination group, Fare, disappointed with the team's new stance.
Speaking with BBC Sport, Wiegman explained the reasoning for her players no longer wanting to take the knee. The 55-year-old stated: "Taking the knee, that's not enough. We have done that for a while. The impact is not good enough, it's not as big as we think."
She went on to add: "When there is this form of racism we felt we have to do something else, something different, so that's why we are not taking the knee."
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Carter's teammate, Georgia Stanway, also backs the latest decision to abandon the gesture. The midfielder told BBC Sport: "We think that is a way of making change in itself (refusing to take the knee) because we want to get people talking - we want to tell people that what is being done isn't enough."
Carter, a regular starter for England at this year's European Championships, will be hoping to keep her place in defence for the crucial clash with Italy as she has struggled at times in the tournament.
Also, Esme Morgan impressed in the Lionesses' quarter-final win over Sweden and is pushing for a start in Wiegman's backline.
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