‘Abhorrent’: Players targeted with racist abuse after Premier League games

Several Premier League players have been targeted with racist abuse online after their games over the weekend, drawing condemnation from the English football league and calls for social media companies to take action.

On Saturday, Chelsea defender Wesley Fofana and Burnley midfielder Hannibal Mejbri shared images of racist messages they said they were sent privately over Instagram following their teams’ match at Chelsea’s home ground Stamford Bridge that finished 1-1.

A day later, Wolverhampton Wanderers striker Tolu Arokodare also showed racially aggravated messages he received on Instagram after a 1-0 loss at London’s Crystal Palace, during which he had a penalty saved.

Sunderland winger Romaine Mundle was also subjected to “vile online racist abuse”, his club said in a statement, after his substitute appearance in a 3-1 home loss to Fulham.

In statements posted on X, the Premier League said it joined Sunderland and the Wolves in condemning the abuse targeting their players, calling it “abhorrent” and “unacceptable”.

“There are serious consequences for anybody found guilty and we will offer the club and player our full support with investigations,” it said.

Call for action

Kick it Out, an anti-discrimination group, said the abuse should not be tolerated.

“Words matter, but actions are more important. Football is working together to tackle this issue alongside the UK Football Policing Unit and Ofcom [the UK communications regulator], but social media companies must do more to offer protections to players and help improve accountability when incidents occur,” the group said in a statement.

A spokesperson for Meta, which owns Instagram, told the BBC: “No-one should be subjected to racist abuse, and we remove this content when we find it.”

The incidents came days after the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) started an investigation into claims by Real Madrid forward Vinicius Junior that he was racially abused on the field by Benfica’s Gianluca Prestianni during a Champions League game in Lisbon.

‘Nothing changes’

Fofana, who was sent off for receiving two yellow cards against Burnley, posted screenshots of messages he had been sent and wrote on Instagram: “2026, it’s still the same thing, nothing changes. These people are never punished.”

“You create big campaigns against racism, but nobody actually does anything.”

Mejbri wrote on his Instagram story: “It’s 2026 and there are still people like that. Educate yourself and your kids, please.”

Chelsea said in a statement the abuse directed at Fofana was “completely unacceptable and runs counter to the values of the game and everything we stand for as a club”.

“We stand unequivocally with Wes,” the statement read.

“He has our full support, as do all our players who are too often forced to endure this hatred simply for doing their job.

“We will work with the relevant authorities and platforms in identifying the perpetrators and take the strongest possible action.”

Burnley said in its statement there was “no place for this in our society and we condemn it unreservedly”.

One of the racist messages sent to Arokodare on Sunday appeared to be from a gambler.

Writing on his Instagram story, Arokodare said: “It’s still unbelievable to me that we’re playing in a time where people have so much freedom to communicate such racism without any consequences.”

Wolves said in a statement that: “There is no place for racism — in football, online, or anywhere in society. We condemn this abhorrent and unlawful behaviour in the strongest possible terms.”

The club “has reported the posts to the relevant platforms and will work with the Premier League and the authorities to help identify those responsible and ensure appropriate action is taken.”

For the latest from SBS News, download our app and subscribe to our newsletter.