After missing penalty kicks in the European Championship shootout against Italy on Sunday, three Black members of England’s national football team faced a barrage of racist online hate.
The harassment reached such a fever pitch that the English Football Association (FA) released a statement of condemnation.
Three players, Bukayo Saka, Marcus Rashford, and Jadon Sancho, all missed penalty shots in a shootout against Italy, resulting in England’s 3-2 loss. In a statement, the FA said it would support the players who were affected by the racist language “while urging the toughest punishments possible for anyone responsible.”
The FA also called for “appropriate legislation so this abuse has real-life consequences.” London’s Metropolitan Police said they would be investigating the “offensive and racist” messages.
