Wilfried Zaha urges fellow black footballers to ‘stand tall now’ and stop taking the knee

Wilfried Zaha urges fellow black footballers to ‘stand tall now’ and stop taking the knee before games because it is ‘degrading’ and may be making them a ‘target’ for racist abuse as they continue to be attacked on social media

  • Wilfried Zaha has insisted he intends to stop taking the knee before games
  • The Crystal Palace star believes it is ‘degrading’ and isolating black players 
  • He also said he will not wear Black Lives Matter on his back as it feels like a target
  • Zaha feels the gesture’s lost its meaning and that black players should ‘stand tall’

Wilfried Zaha has vowed to stop taking the knee before matches and urged fellow black footballers to do the same because he believes the gesture has lost its meaning, is not working and may even be making them a ‘target’ for racial abuse.

The Crystal Palace forward, 28, believes taking the knee to show support for racial equality — as players, official and staff in the Premier League and EFL have done since Project Restart — is becoming ‘something we just do now’.

Several clubs, including Brentford last weekend, have stopped making the gesture. Brentford said in a statement that players decided to stop taking a knee as they ‘no longer feel that it is making an impact’.

Wilfried Zaha (right) has vowed to stop taking the knee before Premier League matches

Brentford players are no longer taking the knee as they 'no longer feel it is making an impact'

Brentford players are no longer taking the knee as they ‘no longer feel it is making an impact’

Zaha speaking at Thursday’s Financial Times’ Business of Football summit, said: ‘I’ve said before that I feel like taking the knee is degrading and stuff because growing up my parents just let me know that I should be proud to be black no matter what and I feel like we should just stand tall. 

‘Trying to get the meaning behind it, it’s becoming something that we just do now and that’s not enough for me. 

‘I’m not going to take the knee, I’m not going to wear Black Lives Matter on the back of my shirt because it feels like it’s a target. We’re trying to say that we’re equal but we’re isolating ourselves with these things that aren’t even working anyway, so that’s my stand on it. 

‘I feel like we should stand tall. Now I don’t really tend to speak on racism and stuff like that because I’m not here just to tick boxes. Unless action is going to happen, don’t speak to me about it.’

Crystal Palace star said it is 'degrading' and black players are isolating themselves by doing it

Crystal Palace star said it is ‘degrading’ and black players are isolating themselves by doing it

Arsenal supremo Vinai Venkatesham has branded racism as football's biggest problem

Eddie Nketiah became the latest player to be targeted on social media

Zaha’s comments came as Arsenal supremo Vinai Venkatesham (left) branded racism as football’s biggest problem after Eddie Nketiah (right) was targeted on social media

Zaha spoke on the day Arsenal supremo Vinai Venkatesham branded racist abuse on social media ‘the biggest problem in football’ after striker Eddie Nketiah became the latest high-profile player to be targeted. 

Nketiah was urged to leave Arsenal in a racist post replying to a training picture he posted on Twitter ahead of Thursday night’s clash against Benfica.

Anthony Martial has also been targeted in the past week after abhorrent gorilla emojis and expletives were seen on his Instagram following Manchester United’s 1-1 draw with West Brom. 

Zaha, who has also been targeted with abuse on several occasions on social media in the past, said earlier this month that he was fed up of charades that ‘mean nothing’.

Speaking on the On the Judy podcast, Zaha said: ‘The whole kneeling down – why must I kneel down for you to show that we matter?

Anthony Martial was also the victim of racial abuse after Man United's 1-1 draw at West Brom with abhorrent gorilla emojis, and expletives seen on his Instagram account.

Anthony Martial was also the victim of racial abuse after Man United’s 1-1 draw at West Brom with abhorrent gorilla emojis, and expletives seen on his Instagram account.

Kick It Out representative Troy Townsend slammed the abuse of Martial last weekend

Kick It Out representative Troy Townsend slammed the abuse of Martial last weekend

‘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.

‘When people constantly want to get me to do Black Lives Matter talks and racial talks and I’m like, I’m not doing it just so you can put “Zaha spoke for us”. Like a tick box, basically.

‘I’m not doing any more, because unless things change. I’m not coming to chat to you just for the sake of it, like all the interviews I’ve done.

‘All these platforms – you see what’s happening, you see people making fake accounts to abuse black people constantly, but you don’t change it.

‘So don’t tell me to come and chat about stuff that’s not going to change. Change it. All that stuff that you lot are doing, all these charades mean nothing.’ 

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