WE MUST END THIS ABUSE
Players suffer too much now insists angry Dier
ERIC DIER has spoken out about the culture of abuse affecting footballers and their families after receiving a fourmatch FA ban for encroaching into the crowd to defend his brother, who he believed was being threatened by a fan.
Speaking for the first time since the ban, the Tottenham and England player said that he would not risk talking about the FA’s action as his views on the matter were ‘very strong.’
But addressing the problem of general abuse of players in stadia and on social media, Dier, who agreed a new four-year deal with Spurs last week, said: ‘It’s a massive problem in society in general because of social media, football stadiums, sports stadiums in general.
‘It’s a huge problem that needs to be looked at much more seriously and there needs to be more repercussions. I think it is being addressed but it needs to be addressed even more.
‘I have no problem with anyone criticising my footballing ability at any time but when it’s anything more than that then there is a big problem.’
The incident involving Dier related t o general abuse which was ai med at hi s brother but his words come in the wake of Wilfried Zaha and Jude Bellingham reporting horrific racial abuse on social media. I n Zaha’s case it resulted in a 12-year-old boy being arrested.
It also follows a rise in racist incidents at games, including a Manchester City fan bei ng charged af t er t he
derby against United in December and a Chelsea fan being banned for life last year after the club said he had racially abused England star Raheem Sterling.
Dier’s four-match punishment for reacting to a supporter’s abuse after a March FA Cup defeat by Norwich meant he has missed Spurs’ last four games but he is available for today’s trip to Crystal Palace.
Asked about the ban, Dier said: ‘I’m not going to risk getting in any more trouble because my views on it are very strong.’
The flashpoint took place when Dier believed his younger brother Patrick was facing danger from a Spurs fan after the club’s shock defeat. The supporter has since apologised and manager Jose Mourinho says he will be welcome back to the club when fans return next season.
Dier’s intervention comes as Liverpool captain Jordan Henderson said players are likely to speak out more in the future after mobilising to support the NHS during the coronavirus pandemic and protesting against racism by taking the knee before games.
Henderson said: ‘I know footballers will get stick and maybe sometimes rightly so.
‘But I think the overall majority of footballers in general are only human at the end of the day and they do care and they just want to help use their position to make change for the better.’