Nicolae Stanciu refused to take the knee before Romania’s friendly against England in protest over Ondrej Kudela’s UEFA ban for racially abusing Glen Kamara.
Slavia Prague playmaker Stanciu scored in both legs of the Czech side’s Europa League last-16 win over Rangers which was overshadowed by Kudela’s slur into Kamara’s ear in the second leg at Ibrox.
Kudela was handed a 10-match ban by European football’s governing body which stood despite an appeal from the defending, meaning the Czech Republic defender will miss Euro 2020 and a return to Glasgow.
But Stanciu reignited the row as he was one of two of Romania’s players who failed to take the knee prior to their 1-0 defeat to Scotland’s Euro 2020 Group D rivals England at Middlesbrough’s Riverside Stadium.
The 28-year-old explained his decision afterwards and said: “I did the same with Slavia, when I played against Arsenal in the quarterfinals of the Europa League.
“It seems normal to me, and I decided to make the gesture for my colleague from Slavia, for Kudela, who without any proof was suspended for 10 matches after the game against Rangers.
“Just like that because a team-mate of Kamara's heard that word that I can't say. I decided not to take the knee and I don't think that's the solution.”
Stanciu’s international team-mate Ianis Hagi, who was on the bench for the match, is unlikely to share that view after the Rangers players rallied behind Kamara following the abuse.
For the second game running, some England fans again booed their own players for taking part in the anti-racism gesture and Three Lions boss Gareth Southgate said: “I don't want to give it any more oxygen than I did yesterday (Saturday).
"We have answered it as much as we can. I have made it clear where the players stand with it.
“We are a united group. We are going to keep doing it.”
