CNN
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English Premier League side Brentford is “disgusted and saddened” by “abusive racist messages” received by star player Ivan Toney following Saturday’s match against London rival Arsenal, according to a statement released by the club.
Toney, who scored the controversial equalizer against Arsenal in the 1-1 league draw, “received a barrage of abusive, racist direct messages via his Instagram account,” Brentford said on Sunday.
“We are disgusted and saddened that Ivan has had to deal with this yet again. We will not tolerate it and we will do everything we can to pursue the individuals involved.
“We call on football fans everywhere to relish the competition and rivalry that exists between us, but to respect and embrace our differences and celebrate the diversity that exists throughout the Premier League. There is no room for racism.”
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2023-02-13 08:36:42
Post from www.cnn.com
The English Football Club, Brentford FC have expressed their disappointment and disgust after their star player Ivan Toney was subjected to a barrage of racial abuse this past weekend.
The club released a statement on Monday stating that they had been contacted by the Kick It Out organization and were dismayed to discover that Toney had been the victim of racial abuse on Saturday. The statement also said that they were “disgusted” by the discriminatory language and had reported the incident to the police.
The Brentford FC statement also reiterated the club’s commitment to ensuring that everyone in football is provided with a safe and respectful environment, free from discrimination. Brentford’s Chief Executive, Mark Devlin, echoed the sentiment, declaring that “There is no place for this kind of behaviour in our game.”
The incident is the latest in a series of high profile cases of racism in football in recent months, with players from Manchester United, Arsenal, and Chelsea all having gone public about their experiences of racial abuse.
The English Football Association has launched a campaign to raise awareness of racism in the game, as well as introducing guidelines to deal with any offenders swiftly and appropriately. The Brentford statement also expressed the club’s anger at the absence of any real deterrents to racist behaviour in football and urged the authorities to take immediate action.
Brentford FC’s stand against racism is to be applauded and should serve as a reminder to football fans everywhere that racial abuse in sport must not be tolerated.