Scotland confirm plans to ‘stand up to racism’ at Euro 2020

Steve Clarke’s team will not take the knee before matches.

Scotland players will “stand up to racism” at Euro 2020 rather than take the knee before matches.

The squad switched to standing for the start of their World Cup qualifying campaign in March after head coach Steve Clarke claimed the knee gesture had become “maybe a little bit diluted”.

The move followed several Scottish Premiership clubs switching gestures in a bid to reinforce the anti-racism message.

A statement from the Scottish Football Association read: “The squad, coaching staff and backroom members will stand up to racism ahead of the Group D matches against Czech Republic, England and Croatia.”

Captain Andy Robertson added: “It is important we continue to tackle the issue of racism and raise awareness of the need to change people’s mindsets but also their behaviours.

“Prior to our World Cup qualifiers in March we spoke as a group and felt that taking a stand was the best way for us to show solidarity and also to reinforce the need for meaningful change in society.”

England players are due to take the knee ahead of their games in a symbol against racial inequality. Some fans booed the gesture before warm-up games against Austria and Romania at the Riverside Stadium in Middlesbrough last week.

Scotland’s first opponents, the Czech Republic, will be without Slavia Prague player Ondrej Kudela after he received a 10-match UEFA ban for making racist comments to Rangers midfielder Glen Kamara in Glasgow in March.