Wesley Fofana and Hannibal Mejbri have both been subjected to racist abuse on Instagram following the Premier League match between Chelsea and Burnley, which ended in a 1-1 draw. The abuse came after Fofana was sent off, with Mejbri having been fouled for the first of the two yellow cards that led to the Chelsea defender's dismissal.
Mejbri posted screenshots of the abusive direct messages he received on Instagram, captioning them: 'It's 2026 and there still ppl like that … Educate yourself and your kids pls.' Fofana also shared the racist messages he received on social media.
Burnley issued a statement expressing disgust at the abuse, saying: 'Everyone at Burnley FC is disgusted by the online racist abuse directed at Hannibal following today’s Premier League fixture. There is no place for this in our society and we condemn it unreservedly.' The club confirmed it had reported the incident to Meta, Instagram's parent company, and expects strong support from them, the Premier League and the police.
Chelsea also released a statement, saying they were 'appalled and disgusted by vile online racist abuse directed at Wesley Fofana.' The club added: 'Such behaviour is completely unacceptable and runs counter to the values of the game and everything we stand for as a club.' Chelsea said they stand unequivocally with Fofana and will work with authorities and platforms to identify the perpetrators and take the strongest possible action.
The Premier League also condemned the abuse, stating: 'We join Burnley in strongly condemning the abhorrent racist abuse directed at Hannibal and have offered our full support to the player and club.' The league emphasised that any individuals identified and found guilty of discrimination will face the strongest possible consequences, including club bans and legal prosecution.
