First used by NFL player Colin Kaepernick as a protest during the United States national anthem before a game in 2016, the gesture of "taking the knee" has been adopted as a symbol of protest and a call to action against racial inequality. During a March 2021 survey among soccer fans across Europe, the majority of respondents were aware of the reasons for players choosing to kneel on one knee before matches. In England, 90 percent of soccer fans were familiar with the gesture, while this figure dropped to 52 percent among soccer fans in Portugal.
Public awareness of the reasons for professional soccer players taking the knee before matches in selected European countries as of March 2021
This question was phrased by the source as follows: "How familiar, if at all, are you with the reasons why professional football players and staff in some countries are choosing to kneel on one knee before matches?"
Missing percentage points to 100 percent are probably due to rounding.
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YouGov. (June 10, 2021). Public awareness of the reasons for professional soccer players taking the knee before matches in selected European countries as of March 2021 [Graph]. In Statista. Retrieved December 30, 2024, from https://www.statista.com/statistics/1243882/taking-knee-familiarity-europe/
YouGov. "Public awareness of the reasons for professional soccer players taking the knee before matches in selected European countries as of March 2021." Chart. June 10, 2021. Statista. Accessed December 30, 2024. https://www.statista.com/statistics/1243882/taking-knee-familiarity-europe/
YouGov. (2021). Public awareness of the reasons for professional soccer players taking the knee before matches in selected European countries as of March 2021. Statista. Statista Inc.. Accessed: December 30, 2024. https://www.statista.com/statistics/1243882/taking-knee-familiarity-europe/
YouGov. "Public Awareness of The Reasons for Professional Soccer Players Taking The Knee before Matches in Selected European Countries as of March 2021." Statista, Statista Inc., 10 Jun 2021, https://www.statista.com/statistics/1243882/taking-knee-familiarity-europe/
YouGov, Public awareness of the reasons for professional soccer players taking the knee before matches in selected European countries as of March 2021 Statista, https://www.statista.com/statistics/1243882/taking-knee-familiarity-europe/ (last visited December 30, 2024)
Public awareness of the reasons for professional soccer players taking the knee before matches in selected European countries as of March 2021 [Graph], YouGov, June 10, 2021. [Online]. Available: https://www.statista.com/statistics/1243882/taking-knee-familiarity-europe/
