TOTTENHAM Hotspur forward Mathys Tel has declared he will not be broken by the racial abuse targeted at him online.
The abuse followed his penalty miss in Spurs’ UEFA Super Cup shootout defeat to Paris St-Germain last Wednesday. The club issued a strong statement expressing their disgust at the treatment of the 20-year-old French player.
Tel addressed the situation directly on his social media channels on Tuesday. He stated his disappointment with the match result but was unequivocal in his stance against racism.
“I know where I come from, where I started and none of this will bring me down,“ Tel wrote. He emphasised that respect, hard work, and humility will always prevail. This incident is not isolated within the Premier League this week.
Bournemouth’s Antoine Semenyo was also subjected to racist abuse during his team’s 4-2 loss to Liverpool at Anfield on Friday. Merseyside Police confirmed a 47-year-old man from Liverpool was arrested on suspicion of racially abusing the player.
The individual has been released on conditional bail and is banned from attending any football matches. Reuters