Game of Opinions – 'If you support the team, you support the taking of the knee'
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Updated 13/06/2021 at 10:36 GMT
The latest Game of Opinions did not hold back when it came to the issue of England fans booing the national side taking the knee. Dej and Dot expect it to remain a major talking point throughout the tournament - especially England's first three games at Wembley Stadium - and were all left wondering if these so-called supporters even want to change their ways.
Southgate: England 'more determined than ever to take the knee' at Euro 2020 despite boos
Booing the England team taking the knee will not only be a major talking point throughout Euro 2020 but some supporters don't even want to change their ways when it comes to issues of racism in football.
That was the typically honest opinions from the hosts in Eurosport's latest Game Of Opinions podcast.
Dej and Dot were reacting to fans at the Riverside Stadium jeering both England and Austria as they took a knee, ahead of their friendly last Wednesday.
It happened again against Romania on Sunday and Dot believes fans who boo not only don't want to hear the message England are trying to send out, but are contradicting themselves.
"If the England squad have decided to take that action to take the knee, you support that," said Dot.
"If you are a supporter of the nation, a supporter of the England national team, you support that because when you are booing them, you are not supporting your nation.
"You're booing players like Marcus Rashford, who was captain for the last friendly, but then if he scores, you're going to be going crazy in the pubs. So how does that make sense?"
Dot insists that with England's three Group D games taking place at Wembley Stadium, with no 'visiting' fans and 22,500 fans with vaccine passports or proof of a negative Covid test allowed in, taking the knee will be a constant talking point, with all eyes and ears on supporters.
The Game Of Opinions duo agreed that it is likely to go beyond Euro 2020 though, despite the awareness and education on racial injustice, just over a year after George Floyd was murdered by a Minnesota police officer.
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England's manager Gareth Southgate made it clear that taking the knee is not just a "politcal stand".
Image credit: Getty Images
Dej is "exhausted to keep talking about it" and questioned what the next course of action should be, but also made it clear that it might not be possible to change some people's mindset.
"I think it's got to the stage now that if you are booing people taking the knee, you are racist," he said.
"That is as bland and as simple as it is. It’s been explained, it's been educated, and they say 'people need educating' but I just think people are just tapped, unfortunately.
"Some people - in their own head - are set in their ways. They don't want things to change. It's embarrassing."
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