RAHEEM STERLING has demanded “real leadership” and “proper action” after a shock study outlined the scale of online racist abuse at black players.
The Manchester City forward was one of three black aces singled out for abuse for publicly supporting the Black Lives Matter campaign during Project Restart.
Raheem Sterling says the technology is there but maybe not the will to curb online racial abuseCredit: The Mega Agency
Crystal Palace superstar Wilfried Zaha spoke out in July on abuse against him that was later found to have been posted by a 12-year-oldCredit: AFP or licensors
In a series of stunning findings in the report, commission by the PFA and Kick It Out:
- 43 per cent of players involved experienced targeted and explicitly racist abuse
- Almost one in three racist posts featured emoji images
- And half of the abuse was launched at Sterling, Wilfried Zaha and Wycombe’s Adebayo Akinfenwa alone.
Sterling said: “I don’t know how many times I need to say this — but football and the social-media platforms need to step up, show real leadership and take proper action in tackling online abuse.
“The technology is there to make a difference but I’m increasingly questioning if there is the will.”
Sterling was speaking in response to the pilot study, conducted on behalf of the PFA and KIO by data science company Signify Group, during the Project Restart games in June and July.
The company looked at the messages sent to 44 high-profile black players, also including Tyrone Mings, Tammy Abraham, Trent Alexander-Arnold, Marcus Rashford, Andros Townsend, Troy Deeney, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and Mo Salah, plus ex-stars Ian Wright and Sol Campbell.
As someone who has experienced online abuse first-hand… I can say players don’t want warm words of comfort… we want action.
Wycombe’s Adebayo Akinfenwa
It found that 17 of the 44 players were sent explicit racist messages and threats, with many of the posts featuring emoji images of monkeys, bananas and knives.
Sterling, Zaha and Akinfenwa were singled out for treatment after specific incidents.
Sterling commented on the “White Lives Matter” banner flown over Turf Moor during City’s game at Burnley in June.
In July, Palace winger Zaha spoke out after being targeted for abuse which was later found to have been posted by a 12-year-old.
And Wycombe frontman Akinfenwa revealed he had been called a “water buffalo” by a member of Fleetwood’s coaching staff during a League One play-off match.
The disgusting racial abuse ramped up massively in the aftermath of those incidents. Akinfenwa also demanded a proper response.
He said: “As someone who has experienced online abuse first-hand and spoken to team-mates who have experienced the same, I can say players don’t want warm words of comfort from football’s authorities and social-media giants, we want action.
Wycombe striker Adebayo Akinfenwa is fed up with words rather than deeds in the battle against racist abuseCredit: Getty Images – Getty
“Time for talking has passed, we need action by those who can make a difference.”
Kick It Out and the PFA said the report was further evidence that Twitter and other social-media platforms needed to change and monitor their algorithms to prevent racist messages and images being posted.
They said the “damning data” required football’s stakeholders and clubs to work together to fund a centralised AI driven system to proactively monitor abusive users.
More critically, they called for “offline consequences for online actions” including prosecutions and stadium bans as well as decisive action by social-media platforms.
Simone Pound, the PFA’s Head of Equalities, said: “Online abuse is a problem that will not go away without concerted action by the Government, football authorities and social-media platforms. It needs everyone to work together to achieve change.”
Kick It Out chair Sanjay Bhandari added: “This report confirms what we’ve known for a while — that social media can be a battleground of hate with few consequences for abusers.
“We also know that players and the public who witness this hate are victims, who are let down by the cracks in the system.
“Now we need government, law enforcement, the leagues and clubs to commit to working together to fill in those cracks in the enforcement system.
“Crucially, we need fans and social-media organisations to be part of the solution.“We need behavioural and technological solutions.”
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Source: Soccer - thesun.co.uk
