Premier League players to take the knee for first time this season as bosses vow to combat fan racism

Speaking ahead of the league’s return this week, chief executive Richard Masters revealed captains of the 20 clubs support the decision to take the knee, despite some players likely to opt out.

It comes after the majority of Women’s Super League teams decided to stop taking the knee, saying the gesture was no longer meaningfully helping to combat racism.

As players debate whether taking the knee is still the right thing to do, Premier League bosses have vowed to combat anonymous online trolls and pervasive algorithms that promote racist content.

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"It's always been their choice," Mr Masters told Sky News.

"It's never been something that has been forced upon them, either collectively or individually. They had another discussion in the summer.

"They're going to do it really at the No Room for Racism match rounds. We then decide whether they want to continue or stop. So I think they want to make sure whatever they do, it's effective."

He added: "A lot of our players and participants, managers, referees are subject to abuse, a lot of it racism.

"And we're trying our best to deal with that, working with our stakeholders and working with the social media companies to try to solve those issues."

Despite years of players consistently taking the knee, racism is still commonplace in the Premier League.

In fact, this season began with Bournemouth’s Antoine Semenyo being racially abused by a Liverpool fan.

"The Premier League is a very permissive environment," Mr Masters added

"Very few other places you can come and scream and shout and support your team.

"But I think that fans know where that line is. No violence, no threatened intimidation, and no discrimination. If you do, then you'll be dealt with."

Too many people feel emboldened by social media to post anonymous abuse online, he added.

"There's an anonymity to it, I think, which, perhaps wrongly, in my view, gives people the view that they can pretty much say and do what they want.

"And I just simply don't think it should be part of a professional footballer's life to have to put up with this sort of stuff, which is why we're taking what action we can.

"Obviously, anything that makes it easier [to find the perpetrators] I would be in principle supportive of, but I think it goes to a lot of other issues around freedom of information."