SOUTHAMPTON, England (AP) — Southampton defender Kyle Walker-Peters was subjected to racist abuse on his social media account after a Premier League match against Manchester United, with his club saying Monday the “abhorrent” messages have been reported to police.
Racially aggravated language and monkey emojis were posted alongside a photo of Walker-Peters, who is Black, on his Instagram account following Sunday’s match at Old Trafford, which finished 0-0.
In a statement, Southampton said it was “disgusted and disappointed in the behavior of those online who lower themselves to abusing players for the color of their skin.”
The club also was critical of social media platforms “who allow such hatred to breed and fester.”
“We can only hope that they finally pay attention to what continues to be a major problem,” Southampton said.
The club said the abusive messages were forwarded to Hampshire Police “in keeping with our normal processes when dealing with these cases.”
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