Prior to Chelsea’s Champions League tie against Krasnodar on Tuesday night, three of the Russian outfit’s players decided against taking the knee before kick-off.
Taking a knee is a gesture that has become synonymous in the ‘Black Lives Matter’ movement and battle against racial injustice, with Premier League teams adopting this since last season’s Project Restart.
There was as improvement on last time – if that’s the way to put it (for want for better terms) – as eight Krasnodar players did take the knee, last time the sides meet only four did.
UEFA haven’t stated that teams must do this before kick-off, which was clear as three of the Krasnodar starting eleven refused to do so.
Three Krasnodar players chose not to take the knee. Wow! #CHEKRA pic.twitter.com/1pUFC9COra
— Josiscky Rani ?? (@ranijosiscky) December 8, 2020
Pictures from BT Sport.
With the side’s formation clear, it can be worked out who the three were. Igor Smolnikov on the right, Alyaksandr Martynovich at centre-back and Cristian Ramirez at left-back.
Yah neh