The Czech Republic football team refused to take a knee in support of the global Black Lives Matter movement before the European Championship matches. The team management considers this gesture political, so they found another way to express solidarity in the fight against racism.
As in the qualifying match against Wales, Czech players will point to the UEFA Respect badge on their uniforms before games. It is an official program of the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA), which has been promoting equality in all aspects of soccer life for 13 years.
“We want to focus on soccer and the sporting component of our presence at the European Championship. Understanding that this is an important topic for the public, and our national team condemns any form of racism. However, back in March, we discussed the situation with the team and came up with our own solution, which we are not going to change now. The UEFA Respect program already contains all possible topics and tools aimed at combating any form of intolerance,” the national team coach Yaroslav Shyglavy said.