England Players Condemn Racial Abuse From Fans Following Euro Final Loss
In a deplorable cycle that has become all too familiar in European soccer, England players were the subjects of virulent racial abuse in the aftermath of their Euro 2020 final loss to Italy in a penalty shootout at Wembley Stadium.
Manchester United forwards Marcus Rashford and Jadon Sancho and Arsenal winger Bukayo Saka were the primary targets after the young trio failed to convert England's final three penalty kicks.
A mural of Rashford in Manchester, commissioned as a recognition of the United star's campaign to raise awareness for child food poverty, was defaced with swear words after Rashford struck the post with his penalty.
Painted on the mural is a quote from Rashford's mother: "Take pride in knowing that your struggle will play the biggest role in your purpose." By Monday afternoon, the graffiti had been patched up with positive messages from the community that read "Hero" and "You are my Inspiration."
"The communities that always wrapped their arms around me continued to hold me up," Rashford posted on Twitter. "I'm Marcus Rashford, 23 year old, black man from Withington and Wythenshawe, South Manchester. If I have nothing else I have that."
Twitter confirmed to Reuters that it had removed more than 1,000 tweets and had suspended a number of accounts in less than 24 hours. Chelsea midfielder Mason Mount tweeted that it was "devastating" to see the abuse directed toward teammates who "were brave enough to step up when it mattered the most."
England captain Harry Kane cut no corners with his contempt for the online abuse, tweeting, "If you abuse anyone on social media you’re not an @England fan and we don’t want you."
Kalvin Phillips, who started all seven of England's Euro matches, was the first to rush to console Saka after the 19-year-old's penalty was saved to end the match. The Leeds United midfielder also offered his support to his England teammates via Twitter.
From the beginning of the tournament, England manager Gareth Southgate has been outwardly supportive of the team taking a stand against racism while rebuking England fans for booing their opponents' national anthems.
“We have been a beacon of light in bringing people together, in people being able to relate to the national team, and the national team stands for everybody and so that togetherness has to continue,” Southgate told the Associated Press.
Defender Tyrone Mings called out Home Secretary Priti Patel, the fourth highest ranking official in the British cabinet, after Patel condemned the online abuse. She had previously criticized England players for kneeling before games, which has also led to booing from England fans.
Prince William and Prime Minister Boris Johnson also came out with statements against the abuse on Monday. The England FA released a statement just hours after the match in what has become a common occurrence for the nation.
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