Three weeks after some of the biggest names in soccer kneeled during the national anthem, it seems they are not making progress.
Chelsea captain Eden Hazard and striker Olivier Giroud were jeered when they appeared to do likewise last Sunday, and there are still vociferous debates in Britain about whether the players deserved the support of their team. But players from other clubs, including those from Europe, have been doing the same thing for the past few days. Though many could be suspended if they are deemed to be disrespectful to the British flag, coach Antonio Conte remained supportive on Monday, praising his players.
Most notably, the club has backed two members of its delegation: players Jess Carter and Magdalena Eriksson. The two are known for their community work, recently attending a fundraiser in London for women’s hospital charity Marie Curie. Chelsea released a statement on Monday expressing its support for the pair, and even inviting the players to walk the walk on Tuesday.
The statement read, in part:
“As a club we are extremely proud of the work of Jess and Mags and we look forward to supporting them to raise awareness of important cancer projects in their communities.”
Eriksson is a trained nurse at the Princess Alexandra Royal Hospital in Harlow, while Carter works at the John Prince-affiliated Prince’s Trust Trust and supports young people from disadvantaged backgrounds to attend university. Eriksson, whose service in the Royal Navy translated to a 70-day deployment to the Persian Gulf in the late 1980s, graduated with a second degree from the prestigious Royal College of Nursing in 2013.
As of Thursday afternoon, Carter was still receiving support from both Chelsea supporters and her home club. Her brother, Sam, took to Twitter to show his continued support.
Support of @chelseafc & #3numbers continues to grow. As Mum noted to me in the car #3numbers #fantastic — Sam Carter (@samcarter_9) October 20, 2017
Read the full story at The Guardian.
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