CALLUM HUDSON-ODOI has reacted with fury that social media companies refuse to believe a monkey emoji sent to black players is racist.
And his Chelsea team-mate Toni Rudiger has accused tech companies of putting profits before people as football again faces up to a fight against the scourge of racism.
Callum Hudson-Odoi is shocked and angry that social media giants do not understand the monkey emoji can be used to be racistCredit: Reuters
Twitter do not sanction users who send the shocking taunt to footballers because their guidelines do not believe there is any racial connotation to the character.
That has left Chelsea star Hudson-Odoi stunned – and he says when any player is on the receiving end of the sick messages it leaves them and others hurt and angry.
The 20-year-old said: “How can that make sense? Do you know what I mean? If somebody puts for example, a monkey emoji towards a player. Why is that?
“How is a player a monkey? What does that mean to a player?
“So for us seeing stuff like that it always makes us angry. Are you saying that because of our skin colour? Because of the colour that we are?
“Or are you just saying that because you just want to be, you think that you’re funny or you want to get a laugh out of people?
“No one laughs at that sort of situation. All of us take that personally as a team and as players. We have to do something about it. Because obviously, as I said, racism won’t stop.”
Speaking in an interview with global broadcaster beIN SPORTS, the winger says the continued racist insults on social media are starting to take their toll.
As a player who saw his England senior debut in Montenegro two years ago marred by abuse from the terraces, he has felt the pain first hand.
And Hudson-Odoi admits players are now thinking again about speaking out about the issue.
He added: “Well, I wouldn’t be surprised. I wouldn’t be surprised at all. I feel like the more and more people talk, it does help at times.
“When you talk about it people start to realise that it’s not right at the same time, but there are times where people feel like it’s an advantage for them to carry on trying to make you feel more down about yourself, or make you feel a type of way about your skin colour or something like that.
“It’s totally unacceptable and totally – don’t like to use the word – but ‘stupid’ from their side, and idiotic; because I’m like – ‘Why would you want to do that to a player of the team that you support?’
“Especially when you want them to do well for your team as well?
“It’s embarrassing to us that we’re playing our hearts out and trying to play the game as much as possible to try and win games.
“And if we don’t win or do something wrong, we’re receiving bad things from other people.
“We trying our best in every game that we play in and our daily lives to talk about it because it’s just the thing where it gets me angry to hear stuff like that.
“As I said, it’s unacceptable and hopefully things get resolved soon.”
Rio Ferdinand has called on the government to get involved to combat social media racism
Defender Rudiger is another abused online this season, with the defender targeted in the wake of Frank Lampard’s sacking.
And the German accused social media companies of caring more about money than bigotry, saying: “If more people are making accounts, I think they make money off it. I don’t think these people care.
“As you know, this money has power and the rest doesn’t matter. It’s hard to tell if people will make a change on that. I feel sorry for that.”
Chelsea are investigating Rudiger’s complaints and intend to forward any evidence of criminal behaviour to the police.
In Blues owner Roman Abramovich the Chelsea players know there is someone who has vowed to help fund the battle to rid racism from the sport.
He said: “I think it’s amazing to know the owner is coming out to help us, is reaching out to all of us, to know that he is trying to do something about it and get things sorted.
“It’s unacceptable to hear any of that [racism]. I feel like all of us players know it’s unacceptable to hear stuff like that [racism] so, when we’re receiving stuff online or social abuse none of us like to receive it.
“But definitely social media need to step up and hopefully do something about it as well. I think it’s very easy to go on social media and write something hateful to somebody, without anything being sorted.”
Rio Ferdinand has called on the Government to intervene in the ‘disgusting situation’ of social media racism.
Manchester United star Marcus Rashford became the latest in a long line of footballers who have been targeted with sick racist abuse online.
Rashford’s team-mates Axel Tuanzebe and Anthony Martial were abused on social media after their team lost at home to Sheffield United recently.
Rio Ferdinand calls on government and social media to do more to combat ‘disgusting’ racism aimed at players
Source: Soccer - thesun.co.uk
