London: Premier League Chief Executive Richard Masters condemned the racist abuse that has been sent to Manchester United players Axel Tuanzebe and Anthony Martial and West Bromwich Albion’s Romaine Sawyers. The players and their families were all subjected to online abuse this week.
Masters said, “I am appalled to see the racial abuse received by players this week. Racist behaviour of any form is unacceptable and nobody should have to deal with it. Tackling online hate is a priority for football, and I believe social media companies need to do more.
“We at the Premier League will continue to support players, managers and their families who receive discriminatory online abuse. Through our central reporting system we have been able to take immediate action on cases like this and we investigate every report received, with legal action taken where possible.
“We are in regular dialogue with social media companies, challenging them to do more against discriminatory abuse on their platforms. We want to see swifter removal of offensive messages and improved identification and banning of offenders.”
Online abuse reporting system
The Premier League’s online abuse reporting system was launched last year with had an aim to support players, managers and their family members who would receive this sort of serious discriminatory online abuse.
Neal Maupay, whose case was supported by the Premier League encouraged anyone subject to online abuse not to hesitate to report it. In August 2020, Maupay used the reporting system after receiving threatening and racist messages.
“It is important to show the people that if you say something bad, something racist, there will be consequences and you will have to face your actions,” Maupay said praised the reporting system.
“It shows the player that they are looking after them. But they are also showing the fans, the football fans, even outside of football, that racism or abuse is not OK and we are fighting it.”
Tackling discrimination
The Premier League and clubs are committed to tackling all forms of discrimination, on and off the field and undertake year-round, wide-ranging work promoting equality and inclusion across all areas of football.
Through ongoing communications, the Premier League urges fans to challenge and report any fork of racism wherever it takes place.
Education
As part of their long-term commitment to address racism in football and wider society, the League and clubs would provide education to fans and children.
Through Premier League Primary Stars, teachers and families are able to download free resources which encourage children aged between five and11 to discuss diversity and allyship. The No Room For Racism resources also include videos of Premier League players speaking about their personal experiences of discrimination and stereotyping.
