The Latest: Czechs won’t take a knee at Euro 2020
The Latest on soccer’s European Championship:
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Czech Republic players are not planning to take a knee ahead of their European Championship games.
The national team says the players will instead be showing their support for racial justice by pointing to the UEFA Respect sign on the left sleeve of their jersey. The team already did that ahead of a World Cup qualifier against Wales in March.
Czech Republic coach Jaroslav Šilhavý says the team wants to fully focus on the game.
Šilhavý says he understands it’s an important topic for society “and my team and I condemn any form of racism.”
The Czechs say they believe there’s no place for politics and political gestures in sports but they understand the topic will “resonate” during Euro 2020.
The Czechs will play their opening match in Glasgow against Scotland on Monday and then face Croatia in the same city before playing England at Wembley Stadium in London.
The Czechs are missing defender Ondřej Kúdela. The Slavia Prague player received a 10-match ban for racially abusing Rangers midfielder Glen Kamara during a Europa League game in March.
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Sections of fans at Wembley Stadium have booed England players for taking a knee before the European Championship game against Croatia.
The boos came despite pleas from the team to respect the anti-racism gesture.
Croatia’s players did not take a knee.
The English Football Associated told fans ahead of the game that the team is taking a knee “as a mechanism of peacefully protesting against discrimination, injustice and inequality. This is personally important to the players and the values the team collectively represents.”
Some fans claim taking a knee is a political act but the FA says “English football has made it very clear that it does not view this as being aligned to a political organisation or ideology.”
The jeering was by some fans who also chanted “No surrender” during the national anthem. That’s a dated reference to the conflict endured for generations that saw Britain hit by Irish Republic Army terrorist attacks.
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Injured Netherlands captain Virgil van Dijk has sent his teammates a message of encouragement ahead of their European Championship opener against Ukraine.
The Dutch are playing in their first major tournament since the 2014 World Cup but Van Dijk is missing it while recovering from a right knee injury he sustained in October while playing for Liverpool.
He wrote on Twitter “Good luck boys… Believe, enjoy and savour every moment. Stick together at all times, like we always do!”
Georginio Wijnaldum will serve as captain at Euro 2020. He says Van Dijk is still influential in the team despite his injury.
Wijnaldum says “he knows how important he is for us.”
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Soccer fans arriving at Wembley Stadium are being greeted by announcements saying they can show their vaccine certification for entry to see England’s opening European Championship game against Croatia.
The match is the first sports event in Britain to allow proof of having both vaccination shots for entry. The other option is to take a coronavirus test.
Vaccination status certification is shown via the National Health Service app.
Up to 22,500 fans are being allowed into the 90,000-capacity Wembley for the match. UEFA is hoping the permitted crowd will be increased before the final on July 11.
The Group D opener is the first England game with fans allowed at Wembley since November 2019.
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Former Denmark goalkeeper Peter Schmeichel has criticized the decision to resume Saturday’s European Championship game after Christian Eriksen collapsed on the field and needed CPR.
Schmeichel says it was ”a ridiculous decision” by the governing body of European soccer to complete the game between Denmark and Finland. The Euro 2020 match was suspended for about 90 minutes after Eriksen needed lengthy medical treatment before being taken to a hospital. Finland eventually won 1-0.
Governing body UEFA gave Denmark the option to resume playing on Sunday but the team chose to complete the game Saturday.
Schmeichel tells BBC Radio Five live that UEFA should have worked out ”a different scenario and shown a little bit of compassion.”
Schmeichel’s son is Denmark goalkeeper Kasper Schmeichel.
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The Danish soccer federation says Christian Eriksen has ”sent his greetings to his teammates” and continues to be examined in a hospital following his collapse on the field during a European Championship game.
The Danish federation says Eriksen remains in stable condition. It says the players and staff have received crisis assistance ”and will continue to be there for each other after yesterday’s incident.”
Eriksen fell face-forward to the ground late in the first half and needed CPR from medical staff before regaining consciousness.
The game was suspended for about 90 minutes before resuming. Finland eventually won 1-0.
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Christian Eriksen remains in a Copenhagen hospital as he recovers after collapsing during Denmark’s game against Finland at the European Championship.
The Danish team canceled all planned media activities at its base camp and also postponed a training session to give its players more time process Saturday’s incident. Eriksen fell face-forward to the ground late in the first half and needed CPR from medical staff before regaining consciousness.
The game was suspended for about 90 minutes before resuming. Finland eventually won 1-0.
Eriksen was being treated at one of Denmark’s top hospitals. Rigshospitalet is less than a mile from Parken Stadium in Copenhagen.
There have been no recent updates on Eriksen’s condition.
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A rematch from the World Cup semifinals will be first up on Day 3 of the European Championship when England takes on Croatia.
The Croats won that match three years ago in Russia. But England will be playing at home this time at Wembley Stadium in London.
Austria and North Macedonia will play in the middle match in Bucharest. The two teams weren’t able to hold their training sessions at the National Arena on Saturday because a downpour soaked the field. North Macedonia is making its debut at a major soccer tournament.
The final match will be between the Netherlands and Ukraine in Amsterdam. The Dutch haven’t played at a major tournament since reaching the semifinals at the 2014 World Cup in Brazil.
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