KICK It Out have once again called for football and social media companies to do more to rid the platform of racists, after Manchester United players Axel Tuanzebe and Anthony Martial were subjected to vile messages on Wednesday night.
Following United’s defeat to Sheffield United, the duo received a torrent of racial abuse, ranging from monkey and gorilla emojis to a string of racist terms.
With every game across the English football pyramid beginning with players taking a knee in solidarity with the Black Lives Matter movement, Wednesday’s incident was a further reminder to the authorities that more needs to be done and Kick It Out chair Sanjay Bhandari repeated his message of there being “real-life consequences” to those online offenders.
Manchester United players recieve racist abuse after Sheffield United defeat
By The Athletic Staff
Manchester United players Axel Tuanzebe and Anthony Martial were racially abused on social media following the club’s 2-1 defeat by Sheffield United on Wednesday night, reports Luke Bosher.
In a statement the club condemned the “mindless idiots” who racially abused their players, while Kick It Out chair Sanjay Bhandari said “the individuals responsible will hopefully be identified by the social media platforms and swiftly removed”.
After the defeat, both players were the victims of abuse on Instagram, with some social media users leaving racist comments and emojis underneath their photographs.
Troy Deeney is among footballers to have shared experiences of abuse they or fellow players have faced online. The Watford striker, along with Aston Villa’s Tyrone Mings as well as Liverpool pair Jordan Henderson and Rinsola Babajide, spoke with Hertsmere MP Oliver Dowden on tackling abuse and discrimination in the game during a virtual meeting. Former players including Karen Carney and Anton Ferdinand were also part of the call with the Culture Secretary on Monday. Deeney told the cabinet minister how black players were often sent messages which included racists insults - often using emoji’s of monkeys or bananas as an insult, The Sun said.
ANTON FERDINAND says those who post online hate must be held to account, just as footballers are for the material that they share on their social media platforms.
The former QPR defender has been on the receiving end of vile abuse since his involvement in a high-profile disciplinary case involving former England captain John Terry.
Ferdinand addressed a working group made up of football authorities, law enforcement and social media companies who will meet on an ongoing basis to tackle online hate, but he believes the double standards must be addressed.
“As footballers we are held accountable for our actions all the time why aren’t the people that are sending abuse, and the social media platforms, held to account too?” he said.