Chelsea defender Marcos Alonso has explained why he has decided to stop taking the knee before Premier League fixtures.
Premier League footballers have been taking the knee ahead of kick-off in solidarity against all forms of racism and discrimination.
They have earned much acclaim for doing so, but Marcos Alonso has now distanced himself from the gesture.
As reported by the Telegraph, the Spaniard has decided to stop taking the knee before Premier League games as he believes that it is beginning to lose its impact.
Here’s what he had to say on the matter:
“I am fully against racism and I’m against every type of discrimination, and I just prefer to put my finger to the badge where it says no to racism, like they do in some other sports and football in other countries.”
“I prefer to do it this way and, of course, to say very clearly that I am against racism and I respect everybody.”
This will likely prove to be a contentious decision from Alonso and some will question whether it is appropriate for him to have made this decision.
That said, nobody should be told to blindly perform a gesture that they no longer believe in. He’s within his rights to stop taking the knee, should it be for the right reasons in his mind.