Skip to content
Search

Latest Stories

Taking the knee can cause 'a lot of tension', says France's Varane

Taking the knee can cause 'a lot of tension', says France's Varane

FRANCE centre back Raphael Varane said taking a knee before matches has lost some of its meaning and can create "a lot of tension".

Before and during the European Championship the England players were booed by some secion of the crowd in attendance. Ireland too got boos wuring their match in Hungary.


In their Euro campaign opener against Germany, which they won 1-0, the world champions France did not take the knee, and Varane said it was an unanimous decision by the team.

"Everything around racism and discrimination we discuss between ourselves and through that we didn't find that taking the knee has the same meaning that it did at the beginning," Varane said.

"When one team puts their knee on the ground and the other doesn't, it can create a lot of tension, so we don't have a clear message to give."

Varane said the way to tackle racism is "to play together and be united".

"If there is a clear message with all the teams, obviously France will be the first to support a cause as powerful as the fight against racism," he added.

France play Hungary in their next Group F game on Saturday (19).

More For You

Bollywood’s ‘girl dad’ era is rewriting masculinity through fatherhood

Daughters are becoming central to how these stars are seen off screen

Getty Images- Instagram/ suhanakhan2

Bollywood’s ‘girl dad’ era is rewriting masculinity through fatherhood

Highlights

  • A new wave of Bollywood fathers is embracing visible, affectionate parenting
  • Social media has turned private family moments into public image shifts
  • Actors known for screen masculinity are leaning into emotional openness
  • Daughters are becoming central to how these stars are seen off screen
  • The shift reflects a broader change in celebrity culture and audience expectations

When masculinity turns inward

A growing number of Bollywood actors are quietly rewriting their public image, not through films but through fatherhood. The idea of the distant, guarded star is giving way to something more personal, shaped by candid moments with their daughters.

Sidharth Malhotra recently joined that space, sharing a light-hearted post that leaned into what social media now calls “girl dad” energy. It was less about announcement and more about tone, signalling a softer, more intimate public persona.

Keep ReadingShow less