KNEESY DOES IT FOR LINGARD AS UEFA BACKS BLM PROTESTS

MANCHESTER UNITED players who took a knee before winning their Europa League tie last night have been backed by UEFA president Alexander Ceferin.

United defeated Austrian side LASK 2-1 – with goals from Jesse Lingard and Anthony Martial – to win 7-1 on aggregate and make it into the last eight.

The win followed news on UEFA’S stance, which is set to signal a stronger line on racism in response to players in Europe standing up to be counted. Ceferin said: “It has

been a wake-up call for society and the wider European football community.

“It is a reality that billions of fans sometimes pay more attention to football than to their elected political leaders.”

As promised by Ceferin in an exclusive interview with the Daily Mirror last December, UEFA has finally amended the make-up of its disciplinary panel to make Deputy PFA chief executive Bobby Barnes its first black member.

Now it intends to review punishments, with players and fans scathing about pitiful fines that have failed to make an impact.

Porto star Moussa Marega walked off the pitch in response to being targeted in February.

In Ukraine, Shakhtar Donetsk star Taison was sent off for reacting to abuse from Dynamo Kiev fans last November.

In Holland, clubs in the top two divisions refused to play the first minute of their games on the weekend of November 23 after taunts aimed at Excelsior forward Ahmad Mendes Moreira.

In Spain, Athletic Bilbao player Inaki Williams was subjected to monkey chants by home fans during a game at Espanyol in January.

And in England last December a Manchester City fan was arrested after allegedly making monkey noises towards Manchester United midfielder Fred.

Bayern Munich defender Jerome Boateng last week urged players to use the platform provided by the Champions League to continue taking a knee.

Ceferin responded: “Clubs and players have shown solidarity with society’s outpouring of pain, anger and sadness following the tragic death of George Floyd in the US.

“Athletes have spoken eloquently of a moment of genuine potential for governing bodies to rethink anti-racism programmes.

“UEFA has always recognised its responsibility to fight the sickening use of racist language against players.”