Tottenham Hotspur’s winger, Mathys Tel became a victim of racial abuse after missing a penalty kick for the club during the shootout against Paris Saint-Germain in the UEFA Super Cup clash on Wednesday night.
Tel was targeted on social media and abused racially for failing to convert his spot kick by individuals hiding behind anonymous accounts.
The London club reacted to the ugly development by putting out a statement where they condemned the abuse and threatened to ensure those behind the act are punished by the law.
The statement read “We are disgusted at the racial abuse that Mathys Tel has received on social media following last night’s UEFA Super Cup defeat.
“Mathys showed bravery and courage to step forward and take a penalty, yet those who abuse him are nothing but cowards – hiding behind anonymous usernames and profiles to spout their abhorrent views.
“We will work with the authorities and social media platforms to take the strongest possible action against any individual we are able to identify. We stand with you, Mathys.”
Tottenham Hotspur are devastated after taking a 2-0 lead into the 85th minute of the match before conceding twice within minutes and losing the match on penalties.
The racial abuse incident suffered by Mathys Tel will intensify the ongoing debate about the failure football governing bodies to take bold steps to end the reign of racial abuse in football across Europe and other continents.
