Black soccer players slammed with racist abuse after England loss in EURO 2020 finals
Following a grueling 115-plus minutes of pulse-racing soccer Sunday at London’s Wembley Stadium, the winner of EURO 2020 would emerge after a penalty shootout between England and Italy.
With tension running high, Italy won in a 3-2 shootout, shattering the hearts of England fans, who wanted to bask in the glow of a championship after 55 years of waiting.
Some fans, however, were enraged and directed their hate toward some the players who missed penalty kicks — Marcus Rashford, Jadon Sancho and Bukayo Saka.
All three are Black.
While the team’s diversity was on display throughout their four-week run into the final match, some fans took the social media low road and spewed vile racist remarks against the players after the loss.
It wasn’t long before some of the country’s top leaders, including Prime Minister Boris Johnson and Prince William, who is the president of England’s Football Association, came to the defense of the players.
“I am sickened by the racist abuse aimed at England players after last night’s match,” Prince William, the Duke of Cambridge wrote on Twitter. “It is totally unacceptable that players have to endure this abhorrent behaviour. It must stop now and all those involved should be held accountable.”
“This England team deserve to be lauded as heroes, not racially abused on social media,” the Prime Minister tweeted. “Those responsible for this appalling abuse should be ashamed of themselves.”
While Johnson condemned the recent racist outbursts, he has recently faced criticism for encouraging crowd jeers aimed at players who take a knee before games, The Associated Press reported. England’s players have been campaigning for “a more just and equitable society” by kneeling before games.
Team manager Gareth Southgate also spoke out against the online racial abuse during a news conference on Monday, CNN reported.
“For some of them to be abused is unforgivable,” said Southgate according to CNN. “Some of it has come from abroad, we have been told this, but some of it is from this country.
“We have been a beacon of light to bring people together and the national team stands for everybody. We felt the energy and positivity from the fans and I’m incredibly proud of that.”
These sorts of racist attacks are something players have had to suffer through, especially with the rise of social media, the New York Times reported.
England soccer officials also took to Twitter to condemn the racism that was aimed at the players.
“We could not be clearer that anyone behind such disgusting behaviour is not welcome in following the team,” the FA tweeted out in a statement. “We will do all we can to support the players affected while urging the toughest punishments possible for anyone responsible.”
This story was originally published July 12, 2021 at 1:06 PM with the headline "Black soccer players slammed with racist abuse after England loss in EURO 2020 finals."