Police have launched investigations into racist abuse aimed at four Premier League players over the weekend, warning that offenders cannot “hide behind their keyboards”. The UK Football Policing Unit (UKFPU) confirmed it had received four separate reports of abuse towards top-flight footballers in the past three days.
The victims include Wolves forward Tolu Arokodare and Sunderland midfielder Romaine Mundle, who reported abusive messages after Sunday’s matches, as well as Chelsea’s Wesley Fofana and Burnley’s Hannibal Mejbri, who were targeted on Saturday. In a separate incident, Rangers said two of their players, Djeidi Gassama and Emmanuel Fernandez, had received racial abuse on Instagram following Sunday’s draw with Livingston.
Chief Constable Mark Roberts of Cheshire, head of the UKFPU, condemned the abuse and promised action. “There is absolutely no place for racial abuse, either online or in person, and anyone who believes they can hide behind their keyboards should think again,” he said. The Prime Minister’s spokesperson described the racism as “abhorrent” and called on social media companies such as Meta, which owns Instagram, to help identify the culprits.
Anti-discrimination charity Kick It Out urged platforms to do more, while the Premier League vowed to assist Wolves and Sunderland with their investigations, warning of “serious consequences” for those found guilty. However, Fofana expressed doubt, writing on Instagram: “2026, it’s still the same thing, nothing changes. These people are never punished.” Mejbri, who shared the abusive messages, added: “It’s 2026 and there are still people like that. Educate yourself and your kids, please.”
Separately, Nigel Dewale, who sent online abuse to England defender Jess Carter during the Women’s Euros last summer, is due to be sentenced on 25 March after pleading guilty to malicious communication. A Meta spokesperson said: “No one should be subjected to racist abuse, and we remove this content when we find it,” adding that the company would continue cooperating with police investigations.
