English footballer Bukayo Saka, victim of racist insults on social networks after his missed goal in the Euro final against Italy, accused Twitter and Facebook of passivity in the face of online hatred, in a posted message Thursday.
“I do not wish any child or adult to have to receive the hateful and hurtful messages that Marcus (Rashford), Jadon (Sancho) and I have received this week.”, writes the Arsenal player. “I instantly knew the kind of hate I was going to suffer and it is a sad reality that your powerful platforms are not doing enough to stop these messages.”, continues the 19-year-old international.
Like Marcus Rashford and Jadon Sancho, also targeted by racist slurs after missing their shot on goal offering victory to Italy, Saka said to himself “sorry” of this failure. “I promise we will give all we have to make sure this generation knows what it feels like to win”, he writes. The insults suffered by the three players have reignited the debate in the UK on racism in football.
Conservative Prime Minister Boris Johnson has announced tougher measures against perpetrators of racist insults against footballers. His opponents did not fail to accuse him of hypocrisy, he who had not supported the players whistled by the English public when they dropped to one knee against racism before matches.
Bukayo Saka also calls “Most people” to report hate messages to the police. “By spreading hatred, by being good to each other, we will win. Love always wins.”, he concludes.
