Police have warned anyone directing racist abuse online at Premier League footballers that they cannot “hide behind their keyboards” after opening investigations into posts aimed at four players over the weekend.
The Prime Minister’s spokesman has called on social media companies such as Meta, which owns Instagram, to help identify the culprits after Wolves striker Tolu Arokodare and Sunderland midfielder Romaine Mundle revealed they had received abusive messages after their games on Sunday. This came after Chelsea’s Wesley Fofana and Burnley’s Hannibal Mejbri also reported racist messages sent to them on Saturday.
“There is absolutely no place for racial abuse, whether online or in person, and anyone who thinks they can hide behind their keyboards should think twice,” said Cheshire Police Chief Mark Roberts, head of the UK’s Football Policing Unit, which confirmed it had received four separate reports of abuse towards top-class players in the past three days. “The UKFPU condemns this abhorrent behavior and we will ensure that, through our dedicated team of officers, we do everything we can to identify those responsible and bring them to justice.”
On Monday, Rangers said two of their players, Djeidi Gassama and Emmanuel Fernandez, had received racial abuse on their Instagram accounts after Sunday’s draw against Livingston, and that the content had been reported to Meta and would be reported to the police.
Anti-discrimination charity Kick It Out has called for platforms to do more to tackle the issue and the Prime Minister’s spokesperson said ministers would ensure they “continue to work to protect people from abuse”, adding: “The racism these footballers experience is abhorrent. The Prime Minister has previously supported footballers who have had the courage to come forward and call out discrimination and racism, and this is no different.”
The Premier League has vowed to assist investigations into Wolves and Sunderland, saying there would be “serious consequences” for those found guilty. However, by sharing images of messages addressed to his Instagram account, Fofana made it clear that he is not convinced that is the case. “In 2026 it will remain the same, nothing changes. These people will never be punished,” wrote the French defender. “Great campaigns against racism are created, but nobody really does anything.”
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Wolves and Sunderland condemn racist online abuse directed at players
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Wolves and Sunderland have issued statements condemning racist online abuse directed at their players. After Sunday’s match against Crystal Palace, Wolves issued a statement condemning the racist abuse directed at their Nigerian striker Tolu Arokodare on social media following the player’s missed penalty.
“Wolves are disgusted by the numerous cases of racist abuse, by multiple perpetrators,” the statement said. “There is no place for racism, not in football, not on the internet or anywhere in society. We condemn this abhorrent and illegal behavior in the strongest possible terms.
“Tolu has our full and unwavering support. No player should be subjected to such hatred simply for doing his job. We stand firmly with him and with all the footballers who are forced to endure this abuse from anonymous accounts that act with apparent impunity.” The club added that it has “reported the posts to the relevant platforms.”
Arokodare later posted on
Sunderland said they were working with authorities to identify those responsible for the “vile racist online abuse” directed at Romaine Mundle. “These people do not represent Sunderland AFC, our values or our community, and are not welcome on Wearside,” their statement continued.
Kick It Out summed up “a horrific weekend” of abuse, following similar posts directed at Wesley Fofana and Hannibal Mejbri. On X, he posted: “Action must follow. Players cannot be expected to tolerate this behavior, nor should anyone else.” guardian sport
Mejbri had previously shared abusive messages she had received, writing on her Instagram story: “It’s 2026 and there are still people like this. Educate yourself and your children please.”
Nigel Dewale, who insulted England defender Jess Carter online during the Women’s European Championship last summer, will be sentenced on March 25 after pleading guilty to a charge of malicious communication in January. Dewale’s arrest and subsequent conviction came after the UKFPU launched an investigation last July.
A Meta spokesperson said: “No one should be subjected to racist abuse, and we remove this content when we find it. Nothing will stop racist behavior overnight, but we will continue to work to protect our community from abuse and cooperate with police investigations.”
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