England boss Sarina Wiegman added her support to the team's decision not to take a knee, in response to the racist abuse suffered by Lionesses defender Jess Carter.

Wiegman says her players have decided to stop taking the knee before matches because the impact of the anti-racism gesture is "not good enough".

"We have done that [taking a knee] for a while. The impact is not good enough, it's not as big as we think," Wiegman told BBC Sport's Dan Roan on Monday.

"When there is this form of racism we felt we have to do something else, something different, so that's why we are not taking the knee."

One response to the racist abuse suffered by defender Jess Carter has been a unified decision by the England players not to take a knee before tonight's kick-off.

Carter said that she would be taking a step back from social media for the remainder of the tournament and England are working with police on the matter.

Her team-mates have since released a statement stating that they will not take the knee, an anti-racism gesture, saying that "it is clear we and football need to find another way to tackle racism".

Image source, Getty Images

England manager Sarina Wiegman has confirmed that defender Jess Carter is "ready to perform and compete", despite being the target of racist abuse during Euro 2025 and deciding to take a step back from social media.

Speaking in her pre-match news conference, Wiegman said: "Jess is a very strong person, she wants to move on too, but she and we felt we had to address this, we can't let it go.

"She is ready to perform and compete - that says a lot about her and the team."

All 23 squad players should be available for selection, including captain Leah Williamson, who has recovered from the ankle injury she picked up in the quarter-final against Sweden.

Craig Nelson
BBC Sport reporter

While England have been enjoying themselves, for the large part, on the pitch, they have had to endure some difficult moments.

Defender Jess Carter has been the target of racist abuse online, leading to a strong statement of unity from the England camp...

Ellie Thomason
BBC Sport in Geneva

England fans are starting to gather in Geneva, with a meet up organised by Free Lionesses at a pub in the centre.

Free Lionesses are the official England supporters’ club and have been organising events throughout the tournament, from fan walks to watch parties.

“It’s been a lot of fun,” chair of Free Lionesses Deborah Dilworth said of her time in Switzerland so far.

“We have seen plenty of familiar faces but a lot of new faces as well."

There are 2,000 England fans expected in the dedicated Lionesses section at the stadium tonight, but Deborah is expecting plenty more cheering on Sarina Wiegman’s side.

So which camp are you in folks?

• Thumbs up if you are like Sam - predicting a big win for England
• Or thumbs down if, like Tom, you fear this is the end of the line for the Lionesses

Alex Brotherton
BBC Sport journalist

If the expectations were that defending champions England would reach at least the semi-finals, the same cannot be said of opponents Italy.

Italy, who are the lowest ranked side left in the tournament, progressed to the knockouts by finishing second in Group B behind world champions Spain.

Their campaign began with a 1-0 win against Belgium, before conceding an 89th minute equaliser in a 1-1 draw with Portugal.

A 3-1 defeat by Spain on matchday three mattered little because Portugal failed to beat Belgium.

Italy were the better side for much of their quarter-final against favourites Norway, and spurned several chances before captain Cristiana Girelli broke the deadlock in the 50th minute.

Ada Hegerberg equalised for Norway moments after missing a penalty, but Girelli headed home a dramatic stoppage-time winner for a historic victory for the Italians.

If sporting drama is what you are after, then the Lionesses almost always deliver.

But be warned, being a fan is not for the faint-hearted.

If you missed England's quarter-final win against Sweden, or simply want to put yourself through it one more time, then take a trip back to Stadion Letzigrund.

Here are the highlights.

A two-goal fightback in two minutes, nail-biting extra-time and an unpredictable penalty shootout - it had the lot. Enjoy!

So how did we get here?

England went into Euro 2025 as defending champions, but were instantly on the back foot after losing their opening game of the group stages to France.

They went into their second game against the Netherlands knowing that defeat would end their chances, but responded with a resounding win, and followed that up with an equally emphatic victory over Wales to progress as Group D runners-up.

Group C winners Sweden awaited in the quarter-finals.

Sarina Wiegman's side were immediately up against it, conceding two goals in a chastening first half, but responded yet again to draw level before winning through to the last four via a roller-coaster penalty shootout.

It's looking like a beautiful summer's day in Geneva, with wall-to-wall sunshine forecast up to tonight's kick-off and temperatures topping out at a pleasant 25C.

England fans are making the most of it, already gathering in the Swiss city in good numbers...

Image source, PA Media

Image source, PA Media

Image source, Getty Images

Image source, PA Media

Of course, we also want to hear from you...

England fans are already gathering in Geneva as we build up to tonight's Euro 2025 semi-final against Italy.

Whether you are out there in Switzerland, back home in England or anywhere else in the world, we want to know:

• How are you planning to watch the big game?
• How are you feeling about England's chances?
• Which England side do you believe will turn up - the one that struggled in defeat to France, swept aside the Netherlands and Wales or battled back to be beat Sweden?

Get in touch with your news and views using the Get Involved tab at the top of this page.

We will publish a selection of your messages throughout the afternoon as we build up to tonight's semi-final.

Craig Nelson
BBC Sport reporter

Tonight's semi-final is less than eight hours away, so we'll be taking you through all of the build-up throughout the afternoon and into the evening.

Stick with us as we bring you:

• The latest news from both the England and Italy camps
• Recap the tournament so far, looking at the Lionesses' rollercoaster ride to the semi-finals
• Analysis from our top pundits
• Messages of support from the players' friends and family
• And a flavour of the atmosphere in Geneva as excitement builds throughout the day.

Image source, Getty Images

All eyes will be on Geneva tonight, as defending champions England take on tournament dark horses Italy for a place in the Euro 2025 final.

Sarina Wiegman's side are looking to qualify for their third major consecutive tournament final and seal back-to-back Euros finals at the Stade de Geneve.

But Italy, who have qualified for their first Euros semi-final since 1997, will certainly have something to say about that...