In kneeling only out of politeness while not ‘agreeing’ with the message, Italy proved they stand for absolutely nothing, writes Susy Campanale.

Many people forget when taking the knee began and what it represented. The gesture seeped into the European consciousness after the murder of George Floyd shocked the world in May 2020, but Colin Kaepernick started it in 2016. He at first sat during the American national anthem, which is played before every sporting event, and then on advice from an army veteran dropped to one knee instead. “I am not going to stand up to show pride in a flag for a country that oppresses people of colour. There are bodies in the street and people getting paid leave and getting away with murder.” The gesture was one of brave protest and it essentially cost him his career in American Football. It was condemned by Presidents, club owners, coaches, fans. Kaepernick most definitely made a difference and his protest spread like wildfire, even after he was basically exiled from his profession for taking a stance. He returned in 2018 with a Nike advert that had the tagline: ‘Believe in something. Even if it means sacrificing everything.’

Across the sporting world, the act of taking the knee has become a symbol of opposition to racism and support for the Black Lives Matter movement. Opponents, meanwhile, suggest that the act is politically motivated. Regardless of how it is perceived, whilst it remains present in sport, the act guarantees continued conversation around the issue of racism. That is the case even if – as I believe – in the football world once it becomes a sanctioned moment agreed with UEFA and the referee sets time aside to perform it, then it has already lost much of its power as a protest.

But what absolutely everyone can surely agree on is that Italy’s reaction to the entire situation has proved they believe in nothing. They stand for nothing. When they do kneel, it is for nothing. The ultimate empty gesture.

Azzurri taking a knee: an Italian mess

The Italy squad had a meeting and declared it would kneel “out of solidarity” if the opposing team did, all while not sharing this particular message, and stand if the other side opted to stand. Basically, they would join in with a powerful anti-racism stance out of politeness, or not, whatever. It’s not so much taking a knee as stumbling into a shrug.

This is the worst of all responses. If they believed this was nothing but a meaningless gesture that will enact no change whatsoever, then argue that case and stand by it. If they wanted to join Belgium and share the anti-racism message with many players who are their club teammates, then do it properly. Don’t just do it to avoid a moment of awkwardness. Stand for something, kneel for something, just believe in SOMETHING.

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By doing this, the Italy stars leave themselves open to criticism from all sides. They can be accused of bowing to racists, or of bowing to pressure from the media because they’re afraid of being called racist. That does not, of course, make the players themselves racist. It just makes them weak. The same goes for the Lega Serie A putting a rainbow symbol for LGBTQI+ rights on all their social media accounts for Pride month – except the Arabic language ones. Weak, hypocritical and meaningless.

Kaepernick accepted his stance would cost him everything and concluded that he simply could not look the other way. The Azzurri are willing victims of their own moral cowardice.

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