Marc Guéhi says taking the knee may have lost its impact and more can be done against racism

Marc Guéhi thinks one of soccer's best-known anti-racism gestures may no longer carry the weight it once did.

The Manchester City defender, who is Black, did not take the knee before kickoff of City's home game against Ipswich on Saturday. The match was part of the first of two Premier League rounds set aside for the league's No Room For Racism campaign.

"Maybe"

At a news conference Monday, Guéhi was asked whether taking the knee had lost its meaning. His answer was short.

"Maybe. I haven't been taking the knee for a while now, to be honest. I'd always clap, just because of what that actually signifies," he said.

He did not explain his reasons any further. It is not the first time he has passed on the gesture.

Bigger than football

Guéhi spoke on the eve of City's Champions League game with AEK Athens. He called it "great" that the league is keeping its campaign going and said "more can always be done."

"I don't think it's necessarily a football issue. I think it's a wider societal issue and football is that beacon of hope to try to get the message out," he said. He added that he hopes to push the effort forward with the players' union and the league.

How the gesture changed

The gesture took hold in June 2020 as a show of support for Black Lives Matter. The Premier League stopped doing it before every game starting with the 2022-23 season. Now players take the knee only on select occasions each year.