GENEVA — For a moment before the Lionesses kick off their Euro 2025 semi-final against Italy, the football itself will take a backseat.
England players have abandoned their customary gesture of taking the knee following the “vile” racist abuse directed at defender Jess Carter at Euro 2025.
Instead, they will remain standing in the hope that its omission will produce an even more powerful moment.
Carter had discussions with her teammates and Sarina Wiegman before releasing a statement on Sunday, revealing she had come off social media as a result.
Inside the camp, the Lionesses spoke of wanting to tackle the corporations which allow racism on their platforms to go unpunished.
They felt Carter speaking out would help, and before the Italy match on Tuesday, Wiegman said her players had “sent a message to the world” about the “ridiculous and disgusting” comments they were having to endure.
“If anything it has brought us together as a team,” midfielder Georgia Stanway said.
“Some things we will never be able to understand and this is one of them. We need to cut it out of society. If we want to make a change we can do it as a collective.”
The national folklore surrounding the Lionesses does not only stem from their successes on the pitch, but the progress they have made tackling misogyny, homophobia and racism.
They have campaigned ardently to change perceptions and now ahead of their biggest game in two years they are forced to do so again.
Players believe social media companies have it within their power to punish racist users, though it is likely any concrete changes would need legislative support from the Government.
One option that has been mooted is requiring all users to require an identification document to open an account, meaning abuse cannot be anonymous.
Offending tweets are easily identifiable through artificial intelligence.
It is partly why videos of Premier League goals can be taken down within minutes of being uploaded due to copyright infringements – the same does not happen for discriminatory language.
England players should not bear responsibility over the issue but they have been conscious throughout the tournament that social media has the potential to be a disruptive influence.
Wiegman has never insisted her players come off it and prefers to allow them to make individual decisions, but FA staff have been on hand to advise the squad.
Particular support has been offered to Lauren James, Khiara Keating and Michelle Agyemang.
“To us, the people are sending the abuse, the people that are saying these things and doing things like this, they are not fans,” Stanway added.
Carter, who is one of the most popular and down-to-earth members of the squad, remains in contention to start against Italy.
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It was put to Wiegman that she might be withdrawn given the emotion of the last few days but she was adamant the defender wanted to carry on with the tournament as normal.
Italy manager Andrea Soncin also expressed his “solidarity” with Carter and said he condemned all forms of discrimination.
It was England players who decided that a decade on from former NFL star Colin Kaepernick first taking the knee as a protest during the US national anthem, the symbol was no longer carrying the same power and did not prevent players like Carter from being abused.
The FA has given them their “full support” over the decision, which has also been communicated to Uefa.
The situation has added a new gravitas to Tuesday night, which already promised to be a momentous night for England as they aim to reach a third successive major tournament final.
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