Who was subjected to racist abuse on social media after the Premier League match?

Footballers Hannibal Mejbri and Wesley Fofana were subjected to racist abuse on social media.

What action are Chelsea and Burnley taking against the racist abuse?

Chelsea and Burnley have condemned the abuse, pledged full support to their players, and are working with authorities and social media platforms to identify and penalize the perpetrators.

Has this type of racist abuse towards footballers been an ongoing issue?

Yes, these incidents are part of a pattern of racist abuse targeting players on social media throughout the season, as highlighted by previous incidents and investigations.

Home / Sports / Footballers Face Online Hate: Racism Marring the Game

Footballers Face Online Hate: Racism Marring the Game

22 Feb

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Summary

Players Hannibal Mejbri and Wesley Fofana targeted with racist abuse.
Abuse occurred on social media platforms after a Premier League match.
Clubs and Premier League condemn abuse, promising strong action.

Footballers Face Online Hate: Racism Marring the Game

Footballers Hannibal Mejbri and Wesley Fofana publicly condemned racist abuse directed at them on social media after a Premier League fixture on Saturday. Chelsea defender Fofana, sent off during the match, shared screenshots of abusive private messages, lamenting the persistence of racism and the failure to punish offenders. Burnley's Mejbri echoed these sentiments, calling for education.

Chelsea expressed outrage, calling the abuse "appalling and disgusted" and affirming their unequivocal support for Fofana. The club pledged to cooperate with authorities to identify and penalize those responsible, emphasizing their zero-tolerance stance against racism. Burnley similarly voiced disgust and reported the incident to Instagram's parent company, Meta.

The Premier League has strongly condemned these incidents, warning of severe consequences, including club bans and legal action, for any identified perpetrators. These events follow a series of similar abuses targeting players this season, including recent alleged racial abuse against Real Madrid's Vinicius Jr and incidents involving players from Newcastle United and Tottenham.

Past incidents highlight a troubling trend: a BBC investigation in November 2025 revealed over 2,000 abusive social media posts targeting Premier League and Women's Super League personnel in a single weekend. Earlier in August, a match between Liverpool and Bournemouth was briefly halted due to alleged racial abuse. These ongoing issues underscore the pervasive nature of online hate in football.

Disclaimer: This story has been auto-aggregated and auto-summarised by a computer program. This story has not been edited or created by the Feedzop team.

Footballers Face Online Hate: Racism Marring the Game

22 Feb

•

Summary

Players Hannibal Mejbri and Wesley Fofana targeted with racist abuse.
Abuse occurred on social media platforms after a Premier League match.
Clubs and Premier League condemn abuse, promising strong action.

Disclaimer: This story has been auto-aggregated and auto-summarised by a computer program. This story has not been edited or created by the Feedzop team.