Liverpool defender Ibrahima Konate was the target of “vile and abhorrent” racist abuse online, the Premier League club said Friday.
Konate was targeted after Wednesday’s Champions League victory against Galatasaray when he was involved in an incident that led to opposition striker Victor Osimhen sustaining a fractured arm.
Liverpool condemned the abuse as “dehumanising, cowardly and rooted in hate.” It called on social media companies to do more to stamp it out.
“Our players are not targets. They are human beings. The abuse that continues to be directed at players, often hidden behind anonymous accounts, is a stain on the game and on the platforms that allow it to persist,” the club said in a statement.
Liverpool said social media companies had the power and technology to prevent abuse.
“Allowing racist hatred to spread unchecked is a choice – and it is one that continues to harm players, families and communities across the game.”
Liverpool said it was supporting Konate and working with authorities to try to identify those responsible for the abuse.
Last month four Premier League players were targeted with racist abuse online over the same weekend.
Chelsea defender Wesley Fofana, Burnley midfielder Hannibal Mejbri and Wolverhampton striker Tolu Arokodare shared images of messages they were sent on Instagram. Sunderland winger Romaine Mundle was also subjected to “vile online racist abuse,” his club said in a statement.
Kick It Out, a British-based anti-discrimination charity, repeated its calls for platforms to do more to address the problem that persists in elite soccer.
At the last Women’s European Championship, England defender Jess Carter revealed she had been subject to racial abuse online.
“The current situation cannot be allowed to continue. It must be confronted, challenged and eradicated – not tomorrow, but now,” Liverpool said.
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James Robson is at https://x.com/jamesalanrobson
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AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer
