Issa Diop refused to take the knee again before Ipswich's match against Nottingham Forest on Friday night. He was the only one of the 22 players on the pitch to remain standing while everyone else took part in the gesture, and it mirrored what he did the previous week before Ipswich's game against Manchester City.
The gesture before kick-off
The reaction was immediate because the incident was so isolated. Diop stood alone while the rest of the players took the knee, and the moment quickly became the main talking point around Ipswich vs Nottingham Forest before the match even got going.
Ipswich's start to the season has made the defender a more visible figure in the side. He has started and played in 8 Premier League matches this season, while Ipswich sit 9th after 8 games.
The separate VAR flashpoint
The match also produced a second controversy after less than five minutes of the second half, when Diop slid in on James McAtee and the incident went to VAR review. Nottingham Forest boss Oliver Glasner called it "a clear red card", while Lee Hendrie said Diop was "really lucky".
Thomas Bramall, however, stuck with a direct free-kick and a yellow card for No.6 after the review. Forest are 17th with 6 points from their opening 8 league matches, and McAtee's 1 shot on target in the game was part of the wider argument over how strong the foul looked in real time.
The bigger issue remains the same one from kick-off. Diop has now stood twice in successive weeks, and that repeated refusal has ensured the Premier League anti-racism gesture is back under scrutiny after the final whistle.
Written by Jack Mercer with AI-assisted research, cross-checked against 2 outlets. How we work →
