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‘Keep the camera on them and be ashamed’ – Krasnodar players criticized on social media after only FOUR knelt in support of Black Lives Matter ahead of Chelsea defeat
Krasnodar has come under fire online after seven of its eleven starters decided not to kneel before their clash against Chelsea in the Champions League.
The Russian team failed to face Frank Lampard’s team on the night as goals from Callum Hudson-Odoi, Timo Werner, Hakim Ziyech and Christian Pulisic gave the Blues a comfortable victory on the road.
But it was the pre-kickoff display that angered some on social media, as only four Krasnodar players knelt in support of Black Lives Matter and against racial oppression and police brutality.
Only four Krasnodar players knelt before kick-off in support of Black Lives Matter
However, Frank Lampard’s Chelsea won comfortably 4-0 in Russia on Wednesday night.
All Chelsea players knelt down, something that has become common before playing in the Premier League, but which is no longer mandatory in UEFA competitions.
It comes after the Marseille players also failed to kneel before their loss to Manchester City on Tuesday night.
The gesture has not been adopted in France, prompting the jarring scenes at the Stade Velodrome seconds before kickoff.
As City remained determined to show their support for the fight against racism, Andre Villas-Boas’s men were seen huddled in a line as the Premier League team knelt.
The Marseille players did not kneel moments before their match with Manchester City
Instead, Ligue 1 players opted to stand around the center circle and watch City kneel.
Reports in France suggest that Ligue 1 players opted for a minute of silence rather than paying their respects to Samuel Paty, a French teacher who was killed in a terrorist attack last week.
But in relation to the action of the Krasnodar players in Russia on Wednesday, a user said: ‘Hello BT Sport, why are you walking away from the Krasnodar players who do not kneel?
‘Keep the camera on them and shame them #BLM’
Another said, ‘Wow. Watching the UEFA Champions League match between Chelsea and Krasnodar in Russia and they knelt for the final campaign of racism and more than half of the Krasnodar team stood up.
BT Sport coverage briefly showed the scene where seven Krasnodar players did not kneel
“It’s crazy how open racism continues to be in so many parts of the world.”
In terms of the actual match, Chelsea responded after Jorginho missed an early penalty when Hudson-Odoi opened the scoring.
The Premier League team ran wild in the second half to increase their account to four points in Group E, tied at the head of Sevilla.
