March 18 – The Premier League has come out in support of Wesley Fofana after Chelsea’s French defender was subjected to racial abuse following the London derby loss to Arsenal at the weekend.
Fofana shared screenshots of the abuse he received after the 1-0 defeat and urged social media platforms to take action.
“2025, stupidity and cruelty can no longer hide. It’s not just football; it’s not just a ‘game’ when some believe that their skin colour makes them superior to others,” Fofana posted on Instagram. “It’s time for things to change, for platforms to take action, and everyone to take responsibility.”
It’s not the first time Chelsea have been at the centre of racism allegations from anonymous fans and the club immediately stepped in and said that the abuse Fofana received was “abhorrent and will not be tolerated.”
“Chelsea Football Club is appalled and disgusted by the recent rise in online racial abuse towards our players. We will work with the relevant authorities in identifying the perpetrators and take the strongest possible action,” Chelsea added.
The Premier League also said it was “appalled” by the abuse suffered by Fofana after Chelea’s match against Arsenal.
It added: “We will offer our full support to Wesley and the club. We work with the social media platforms and the authorities to ensure any individuals found guilty of abuse face the strongest possible consequences. Football is for everyone and there is no place for discrimination in our game, or wider society.”
The French defender’s online abuse follows recent cases involving Fulham’s Calvin Bassey, Everton’s Abdoulaye Doucouré, England defender Kyle Walker, Newcastle United’s Joe Willock and, in the women’s game, Manchester City’s Khadija Shaw.
In a recent interview with BBC Sport, Samuel Okafor, chief executive of anti-discrimination body Kick It Out, said the level of abuse in English football had “reached crisis point.”
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