Booing England Players Achieves Nothing, Argues Jordan Henderson

Jordan Henderson taking the knee before England’s Nations League match against Belgium in October. Photograph: Michael Regan/PA
Jordan Henderson taking the knee before England’s Nations League match against Belgium in October. Photograph: Michael Regan/PA
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Booing England Players Achieves Nothing, Argues Jordan Henderson

Jordan Henderson taking the knee before England’s Nations League match against Belgium in October. Photograph: Michael Regan/PA
Jordan Henderson taking the knee before England’s Nations League match against Belgium in October. Photograph: Michael Regan/PA

Jordan Henderson has said fans booing England’s players for taking the knee achieves nothing and proves the fight against racism is far from over.

The row over the anti-racism action has threatened, in England, to overshadow the start of Euro 2020 and has led to Gareth Southgate’s players finding themselves on the end of an angry reaction from a section of supporters before games.

There were jeers before England faced Austria and Romania in recent friendlies at the Riverside Stadium and there are fears the dispute will rumble on when Southgate’s side meet Croatia in their Group D opener at Wembley on Sunday.

Yet the backlash will not stop England taking the knee. Southgate made his case eloquently last weekend, and in an article published on Tuesday made clear his determination to keep using his position to raise awareness of society’s ills. Henderson has echoed his manager’s sentiments by saying his teammates are more determined than ever to take the lead in the fight against discrimination.

“I think it shows that if there’s still people booing because we’re standing together against racism, then there really still is a problem and we’ve still got to fight it and stand together,” England’s vice-captain said. “It shows even more that we have to keep going, keep fighting it. From our side, it’s about being together and doing what we think is right.”

Henderson, who insisted he would be fit to face Croatia after a groin injury, was asked whether booing players achieved anything. “It doesn’t,” he said. “We’ve made it very clear that we all stand together against racism. That’s the reason that we continue to take the knee.

“The lads are starting to feel like they don’t really want to talk about it any more. Of course, everyone knows we stand together and you’ll see that in taking the knee, but we want to get on with the football and concentrate on that. That’s our focus.”

The debate has attracted attention from outside football. Boris Johnson has refused to condemn those who booed the knee before the Austria and Romania games, and there have been controversial comments from Conservative MPs and right-wing commentators.

The concern for England is whether the fuss distracts them in trying to become European champions. There is a desire within the camp to focus on events on the pitch and Tyrone Mings summed up the mood by saying he does not have a message for the fans who will be at Wembley.

However Mings, who could start in defense against Croatia, added that he would always fight for racial equality and the Aston Villa player hopes those on the other side of the fence are not lost causes. “You would like to hope not,” the center-back said.

“You would hope by educating these people, some day they will understand why it is that we are taking a knee. But four or five days before a major tournament, I don’t want to get caught up on whether or not we should.”

Raheem Sterling, one of the most influential figures in the fight against racism, also spoke about against the booing.

“It’s something I didn’t even really want to speak on,” the Manchester City forward told TalkSport.

“But if you can’t understand the meaning behind it and the cause behind it then it’s a real disappointment.”

Southgate aimed to inspire his squad by showing a video on Tuesday about England’s past glories.

“It was about the legacy, about the past players and how important they were,” the Luke Shaw said.

“At the end of the video there was a little bit about us. You got a lot of confidence from watching. I looked around the whole group and felt like everyone had that same feeling.”

In a self-penned article for the Players’ Tribune, Southgate spoke with passion about his role and responsibility.

“I have never believed that we should just stick to football. I know my voice carries weight, not because of who I am but because of the position that I hold. I have a responsibility to the wider community to use my voice, and so do the players.”

The Guardian Sport



Botafogo Faces Atletico Mineiro in Copa Libertadores Final

Soccer Football  - Copa Libertadores - Final - Preview - Buenos Aires, Argentina - November 28, 2024 Botafogo president Durcesio Mello poses for a selfie ahead of the match REUTERS/Francisco Loureiro
Soccer Football - Copa Libertadores - Final - Preview - Buenos Aires, Argentina - November 28, 2024 Botafogo president Durcesio Mello poses for a selfie ahead of the match REUTERS/Francisco Loureiro
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Botafogo Faces Atletico Mineiro in Copa Libertadores Final

Soccer Football  - Copa Libertadores - Final - Preview - Buenos Aires, Argentina - November 28, 2024 Botafogo president Durcesio Mello poses for a selfie ahead of the match REUTERS/Francisco Loureiro
Soccer Football - Copa Libertadores - Final - Preview - Buenos Aires, Argentina - November 28, 2024 Botafogo president Durcesio Mello poses for a selfie ahead of the match REUTERS/Francisco Loureiro

Brazilian team Botafogo could give owner John Textor his biggest soccer success yet if it beats Atletico Mineiro in the Copa Libertadores final on Saturday.
The American businessman also owns several European soccer teams but has come under widespread criticism from fans there because of financial difficulties and poor results. He's had his share of critics in Brazil, too, after making unproven allegations about match-fixing when Botafogo squandered a 13-point lead to miss out on the league title last year, The Associated Press reported.
Seeing Botafogo lift its first continental title would be a rare triumph.
Botafogo was relegated from the Brazilian league in 2020 but has risen to prominence again with Textor’s investment. He was part of a wave of foreign owners who came into Brazilian soccer after a 2021 law change paved the way for private investments.
Textor's Eagle Football also owns Crystal Palace in the Premier League, French club Lyon and RWD Molenbeek in Belgium.
At Botafogo, he has spent big on star signings such as Argentina midfielder Thiago Almada for $25 million and winger Luiz Henrique for $21 million. The team is also on the verge of winning the Brazilian league for the first time since 1995, after climbing back to the top of the table with a 3-1 win at Palmeiras on Tuesday. A victory at Internacional next week could clinch the domestic trophy for the Rio de Janeiro-based team.
The team's Portuguese coach Arthur Jorge, who arrived at the club in April, insisted he's not under any pressure going into the final.
"I am living an adventure that has been extraordinary,” Jorge said.
If Botafogo wins, Jorge would join his compatriots Jorge Jesus (Flamengo 2019) and Abel Ferreira (Palmeiras in 2020 and 2021) as European coaches with a Copa Libertadores title.
However, Botafogo will be without injured striker Júnior Santos, who is the competition’s leading with nine goals despite not having played since having surgery on his left leg in July, before the round of 16.
Atletico Mineiro also has wealthy owner in Brazilian billionaire Rubens Menin, a construction mogul. The Belo Horizonte-based club won its first and only Copa Libertadores title in 2013 after a penalty shootout against Paraguay’s Olimpia.
And while Botafogo is on a high, Mineiro has not won any of its last 10 matches since beating River Plate in the first leg of the Libertadores semifinals. It eliminated defending champion Fluminense of Brazil in the quarterfinals.
Mineiro will rely on veteran striker Hulk, 38, and his younger attacking partner Paulinho — on loan from Bayer Leverkusen — to break down Botafogo’s defense. Hulk has four assists in this edition of the Copa Liberadores.
The club also counts on the experience of midfielder Gustavo Scarpa and center forward Deyverson, who both won the competition with Palmeiras in 2021.
“We are going to Buenos Aires with the faith and conviction that we will win,” said coach Gabriel Milito, who can become the first Argentine to win the trophy with a Brazilian team. “We have to play the final with a lot of courage, with a lot of confidence. We know that we have to neutralize their offensive game very well and we also have to generate danger through ours.”
Whoever wins at the Monumental de Nunez Stadium in Buenos Aires will give Brazil its sixth consecutive Copa Libertadores title and the 24th in history, just one less than host Argentina.
Dozens of buses left Rio de Janeiro, Belo Horizonte and other cities in Brazil early in the week filled with fans going to watch the match in the Argentine capital.
The winner gets prize money of $23 million and a spot in the Club World Cup in the United States next year.