ONLINE ABUSE IS GAME’S No1 ISSUE
Gunners chief calls for a crackdown on racism
ARSENAL chief Vinai Venkatesham believes racist abuse of players on social media is the “biggest problem” facing football.
Gunners striker Eddie Nketiah became the latest high-profile player to be targeted after he was subjected to vile racist abuse on Twitter. Nketiah was told to leave the club in a racist message sent in reply to a picture he posted ahead of last night’s Europa League tie against Benfica.
Manchester United players Marcus Rashford, Anthony Martial and Axel Tuanzebe are among those to have been subjected to shocking racist abuse on social media in recent weeks.
Arsenal chief executive Venkatesham said: “The abuse of so many of our black footballers on social channels is probably and possibly the biggest problem we have in
the game at the moment. We really cannot underestimate the impact that social media abuse can have on an individual. We have to take this opportunity as a wake-up call.
“Unfortunately, we are getting to a point where this type of abuse that a black footballer is getting is becoming increasingly normalised.”
Venkatesham, right, said Arsenal have protocols in place to tackle the problem, but urged social media companies to do more to combat it. He added: “We provide support, psychologists, all that type of stuff. “Across the whole Premier League, the clubs do a lot, and the Premier League do a lot. But we really need the support of the social media companies here. We cannot do this alone. “How can you explain to a black footballer that if a piece of pirated content goes up on social media it is taken down within minutes – but that’s not the same for racist abuse?”