Police are investigating racist abuse directed at England players after they lost the Euro 2020 final to Italy on penalties.
The England team issued a statement in the early hours of this morning to say they are “disgusted” by the abuse directed at members of the squad including 19-year-old Bukayo Saka and Marcus Rashford, 23.
Having reached England’s first major tournament final for more than 50 years, England played a nail-biting 120 minutes at Wembley to draw 1-1 with Italy, before conceding the game on penalties.
Following the match, the social media accounts of players including Rashford and Saka, who missed their penalties, were flooded with abuse including monkey emojis.
London’s Metropolitan Police said it was aware of the abuse and would investigate, warning it “will not be tolerated”.
“We are aware of a number of offensive and racist social media comments being directed towards footballers following the #Euro2020 final,” the police said. “This abuse is totally unacceptable, it will not be tolerated and it will be investigated.”
England said that the players had “given everything for the shirt”.
“We’re disgusted that some of our squad – who have given everything for the shirt this summer – have been subjected to discriminatory abuse online after tonight’s game,” they tweeted. “We stand with our players.”
Prime Minister Boris Johnson condemned the abuse, saying those responsible “should be ashamed”.
“This England team deserve to be lauded as heroes, not racially abused on social media. Those responsible for this appalling abuse should be ashamed of themselves,” he said.
In a statement, the FA said it “strongly condemns all forms of discrimination” and was “appalled by the online racism that has been aimed at some of our England players on social media”.
The footballing body also warned it would push for “the toughest punishments possible” for those behind the abuse.
“We could not be clearer that anyone behind such disgusting behaviour is not welcome in following the team,” the footballing body said. “We will do all we can to support the players affected while urging the toughest punishments possible for anyone responsible.”
Health Minister Edward Argar said that those behind the abuse “could not claim to be true fans of the sport”.
“There’s no place for that in sport, there’s no place for that in our country, and I think it’s absolutely right that the Met Police have said they’re investigating those posts and those possible offences that have been committed and I very much hope they do so swiftly, and as appropriate, take action against those who’ve put up these appalling tweets and these appalling social media messages,” he told Sky News.
Mayor of London Sadiq Khan called on social media firms to crack down on abuse on their platform, saying there was “absolutely no place for racism in football or anywhere else.”
“Those responsible for the disgusting online abuse we have seen must be held accountable – and social media companies need to act immediately to remove and prevent this hate,” he said.
Shadow Justice Secretary David Lammy joined criticism, saying that the abuse sent to England players was “why we take the knee”, while Shadow Home Secretary Nick Thomas Symonds said that the “vile, racist abuse” directed at the players “has no place in our society.”
Sharing a video which appeared to show fans being beaten up as they left Wembley, former-Team GB boxing star Nicola Adams said that the post-match behaviour was “sickening” and that football has “a very big problem with racism”.
“Racist abuse to the players! And attacks! This is exactly why football players are taking a knee! And England dose have a very big problem with racism! And this time it cannot be explained away,” she tweeted.
It comes less than three months after players, clubs and sporting bodies completed a four-day boycott of social media over its failures to clamp down on abuse.
The “show of solidarity against online abuse” was intended to push social media companies to get tougher on racist and sexist abuse on their platforms.
Manchester United star Rashford has regularly spoken out about racist abuse online, revealing that he received “at least 70 racial slurs” on social media following the team’s Europa League final loss to Villarreal in May.
The star has also described social media as a “cloud of negativity” and said he frequently avoids it.
“I use it to promote positive changes, other than that I don’t go on it,” he told Lorraine in March.
Saka and Rashford appeared visibly distraught after their penalties misses, with the former being consoled by manager Gareth Southgate.
Mr Southgate, who himself missed a penalty in the 1996 Euros match against Germany, said the responsibility for the penalty shootout loss “totally rests with me”.
He said the decision to select 19-year-old Saka for the shootout was “my call”.
When asked if he had a message for the young Lion, Mr Southgate told the BBC: “That it is down to me.”
“I decided on the penalty takers based on what we had done in training and nobody is on their own,” he said.
“We have won together as a team and it is absolutely on all of us in terms of not being able to win the game tonight. In terms of the penalties, that is my call and totally rests with me.”
from Football – inews.co.uk https://ift.tt/3AUR8CD
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