In Italy, the controversy over the kneeling as a sign of solidarity with the American Black Lives Matter movement or as a symbolic gesture against racism continues.

On the eve of the quarter-final match between the Squadra Azzurra and Belgium on Friday (9 p.m. in the FAZ live ticker for the European Football Championship, on ZDF and on MagentaTV) in the Munich arena, the Italian football players' association AIC was prompted to comment on the matter.

Matthias Rüb

Political correspondent for Italy, the Vatican, Albania and Malta based in Rome.

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    The AIC "strongly condemns the instrumentalized defamation campaign against players of the national team," it says.


    Although the statement does not explicitly state which players have been defamed on social media, it is clear from the following sentences of the AIC's detailed statement.

    It was the six players who didn't get on their knees with the entire Welsh squad or five of their team-mates.

    They found themselves exposed to a hate campaign on the evening of the match on June 20 at the Stadio Olimpico in Rome and on the following days.

    Their message was shortened: Anyone who stops at such an opportunity comes out as a racist.

    We kneel against Belgium

    The AIC is now protesting against this.

    She pointed out that all the members of the Italian national team were members of the AIC, some of them on the board.

    And all national players have "participated in countless campaigns against every form of racism and discrimination" for years.

    The association's statutes clearly state that the AIC "opposes all forms of discrimination in accordance with Article 3 of the Italian Constitution," the statement said.

    It remains to be seen whether the overheated public debate about standing and kneeling in the Squadra Azzurra will cool down.

    In any case, after the shitstorm from the game against Wales and with a view to the round of 16 against Austria on June 26th at Wembley Stadium, the Nazionale agreed on a uniform “posture”.

    Because the Austrians including captain David Alaba - son of a Philippina and a Nigerian who was born in Vienna - would not kneel down either, they would remain closed.

    And that's how it happened.

    For all that is known, the black Austrian stallion Alaba has not yet been dragged by racism.

    The white stallions from Italy did not get off that well.

    Before the game against the Belgians in Munich on Friday evening, the Squadra Azzurra once again agreed on a common approach: Everyone will fall on their knees, out of solidarity with the Belgian striker Romelu Lukaku.

    He has been playing in Italy since 2019, for champions Inter Milan, and enjoys the highest respect from all players in the Squadra Azzurra.

    You know each other from many games in Serie A.

    The Belgians have so far decided to kneel together before each of their four games at the European Championship finals.

    The Italians will now practice their third variant against the Belgians: everyone on their knees.

    In the games against Turkey, Switzerland and Austria, all Italian players had stopped.

    Then almost half of the team went on their knees against Wales.

    The kneeling purists of the anti-racist symbol campaign will not be satisfied with this mess.

    Neither are the standing fighters against the dictates of political correctness.

    That is precisely why the Squadra Azzurra, under fire from two sides, is in a good position.

    Or kneel.