‘Nothing Changes’—Chelsea, Burnley Stars Racially Abused on Social Media
Wesley Fofana and Hannibal Mejbri both released statements after being racially abused on social media in the aftermath of Chelsea’s Premier League clash with Burnley.
The game at Stamford Bridge finished 1–1, courtesy of a stoppage-time equaliser from Burnley’s Zion Flemming, and saw Chelsea defender Fofana sent off with just under 20 minutes remaining for picking up a second yellow card.
After a troubling week in which Real Madrid forward Vinicius Junior alleged racial abuse from Benfica’s Gianluca Prestianni, both Fofana and Mejbri shared screenshots of messages they had received on social media.
“2026, it’s still the same thing, nothing changes. These people are never punished,” Fofana wrote after sharing some of the offensive messages he received. “You create big campaigns against racism, but nobody actually does anything.”
Mejbri posted: “It’s 2026 and there are still people like that. Educate yourself and your kids, please.”
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Chelsea, Burnley Release Statements
Both Chelsea and Burnley released strongly worded statements supporting their players, with the Blues saying they were “appalled and disgusted” by the abuse.
“The targeted racist abuse Wes has been subjected to following today’s Premier League fixture against Burnley is abhorrent and will not be tolerated,” Chelsea said. “Such behaviour is completely unacceptable and runs counter to the values of the game and everything we stand for as a club. There is no room for racism.
“We stand unequivocally with Wes. He has our full support, as do all our players who are too often forced to endure this hatred simply for doing their job. We will work with the relevant authorities and platforms in identifying the perpetrators and take the strongest possible action.”
Anti-discrimination group Kick it Out challenged authorities to do more to combat racial abuse online, putting the pressure on social media companies to also act.
“Football is working together to tackle this issue alongside the UK Football Policing Unit and Ofcom, but social media companies must do more to offer protections to players and help improve accountability when incidents occur,” they said.
Worrying Trend Continues
There has been a tidal wave of abuse levelled at players throughout the 2025–26 campaign. Players have been racially abused not only online but also by supporters in the stands, while homophobic slurs also remain prevalent in the modern game—particularly from faceless social media accounts.
In midweek, referee François Letexier instigated UEFA’s three-step protocol to tackle racism during Real Madrid’s clash with Benfica. Vinicius Jr had reported to him an alleged slur from Prestianni—an allegation the Argentine has denied—and the game was stopped for 10 minutes.
Information was then passed to the fourth official and after a period of consultation, which had seen Vinicius Jr leave the pitch and refuse to continue playing, the game restarted. Abuse from Benfica’s supporters widely circulated on social media after the match, although no warning was issued to the crowd over the public address system.
Vinicius Jr has received huge public support in the aftermath of the game, as well as from Bayern Munich manager Vincent Kompany. The Belgian was hugely critical of José Mourinho’s response to the situation in Lisbon, in which he suggested Vinicius Jr had incited trouble because he decided to celebrate his goal—which turned out to be the winner—by dancing around the corner flag.
Álvaro Arbeloa, Real Madrid’s manager, also said he was incredibly proud of how his team reacted to the situation. “I’ve told the players there's no title or victory I could achieve with Real Madrid that would make me feel prouder than I did last Tuesday,” he said. “How all the teammates reacted at the moment, how they reacted and kept playing, and each and every one of their subsequent statements, there’s nothing that makes me prouder than seeing a united team, a team that protects a teammate.”
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