Virgil van Dijk
Virgil van Dijk
The Premier League and all 20 of its clubs are backing this month’s No Room For Racism campaign, according to a statement the league published on Friday.
Two dedicated match rounds will run from 17 to 25 October. Players will take the knee before kick-off in both.
The gesture follows a decision by club captains at the start of the season. It is meant to show unity against all forms of discrimination.
The fixtures fall within Black History Month in the United Kingdom, whose theme is “Honouring Our Communities”. Clubs will use the period to celebrate diversity and to highlight inclusion programmes that run throughout the year.
The campaign’s centrepiece is a new film featuring players from all 20 clubs. It celebrates the diversity of the league and shows the impact racism continues to have on players, families and communities.
Liverpool captain Virgil van Dijk was a central figure in the player-led film. He appears alongside Nottingham Forest forward Callum Hudson-Odoi, Manchester City defender Ruben Dias and Brighton’s Kaoru Mitoma.
Van Dijk also features in new education resources that players helped to create. They are delivered through Premier League Primary Stars and are available to more than 19,000 primary schools in England and Wales.
The resources teach children about the value of diversity and how everyone can learn from people of different backgrounds.
Van Dijk spoke about representing his community on and off the pitch. He said he is proud to be part Surinamese and part Dutch, and that it feels good to represent what you stand for.
He added that young people need role models who look like them. In his words: “It doesn’t matter who you are, what you do or how you look.”
No Room For Racism launched in 2019 and encourages supporters to challenge and report discriminatory abuse. The league introduced the No Room For Racism Action Plan two years later.
The plan sets out commitments to combat discrimination and improve pathways into football for under-represented groups. It also covers community education and equality across club operations.
Premier League chief executive Richard Masters said the league is using the reach of its players to show that football is united against racism. He said discrimination will not be tolerated and that the league will keep supporting those who face abuse.
Masters added that the league will work with clubs and authorities to try to bring offenders to justice.
Former Newcastle United striker Shola Ameobi also backed the campaign. He is now the club’s Head of Corporate Affairs and sits on the league’s Black Participants Advisory Group.
That panel of former players and managers helped create the Action Plan in 2021 and still advises the league on race and ethnicity. Ameobi said there is always more to do in the fight against discrimination.
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