British Prime Minister condemns racist social media attacks against black soccer players | Voice of America

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British Prime Minister Boris Johnson has condemned the racist attacks on social media against black players in the British football team after their 3-2 loss to Italy in the Euro 2020 championship on Sunday.

After Italy and Great Britain remained 1-1 following regulation and extra time, the teams were forced into a penalty shootout to decide the game. Black players Marcus Rashford, Jadon Sancho and Bukayo Saka all missed kicks, giving the victory to Italy.

While most comments on social media were positive towards the British squad, all three players started receiving racist comments immediately after the game.

On his Twitter account, Johnson said the team deserved to be hailed as heroes, not racist abuse on social media. Those responsible for these appalling abuses should be ashamed of themselves. Likewise, Mayor of London Sadiq Kahn, from his Twitter account, said there is no place for racism in football or elsewhere. He said those responsible must be held accountable.

The Football Association, the governing body of British football, also issued a statement condemning all forms of racism and supporting its players.

The London Police Service tweeted that they were aware of the comments, called them unacceptable and said they would be investigated.

England players have taken a firm stand against racism during the tournament, kneeling ahead of their matches, including Sunday’s final. Not all fans supported the gesture, with a few boos in reaction.

While Prime Minister Johnson urged fans not to boo the players, some critics felt his response was not strong enough, and that only encouraged racists. In an interview with SKY News on Monday, former British footballer Gary Neville blamed Johnson for the response.

Neville said: “The Prime Minister said it was okay for the people of this country to boo the players who were trying to promote equality and defend themselves against racism. It starts at the top. And so for me. , I was not surprised in the slightest that I woke up this morning to these titles.

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