Wolverhampton Wanderers manager Rob Edwards has clarified that his choice to remove Tolu Arokodare from the starting lineup for Friday night's Midlands derby against Aston Villa was solely tactical, following the Nigerian forward's experience of racial abuse in their previous match.
Incident of Racist Abuse
Arokodare was among four separate cases of racism reported during what has been described as an "appalling" weekend in the Premier League last week. The striker missed a penalty in Wolves' 1-0 defeat at Crystal Palace's Selhurst Park and subsequently received racist messages from multiple online accounts.
In his pre-match press conference on Thursday, Edwards expressed solidarity with his player, noting that Arokodare was "upset and angered" by the incident. Despite this, for the clash with third-place Villa, Arokodare was named on the bench for the first time since mid-January, having started each of Wolves' last five Premier League games.
Manager's Tactical Justification
Edwards, however, firmly denied that the benching was related to Arokodare's wellbeing in the wake of the abuse. He stated, "It was purely tactical. He will be on the pitch tonight and I really hope he will affect the game. He didn't start the last game against Arsenal and then really affected it when he came on, so looking forward to the same from him again."
Police Investigation and Warnings
Police confirmed they are investigating a series of online abuse incidents directed at Premier League footballers last week. Authorities issued a stark warning to offenders, emphasizing that they cannot "hide behind their keyboards." This comes as part of broader efforts to combat discrimination in football.
Response from Anti-Discrimination Groups
Kick It Out, the British-based anti-discrimination charity, reiterated its call for social media platforms to take more robust action against such behavior. The organization said, "This has been an appalling weekend after four players called out the racist abuse they've received on social media. But the sad fact is, we know it happens regularly. The message from them is loud and clear: action must follow. Players cannot be expected to tolerate this behavior, and nor should anyone else."
Premier League's Stance
The Premier League also condemned the abuse, releasing a statement: "There are serious consequences for anybody found guilty of discrimination and we will offer our full support with their investigations. Football is for everyone — there is no room for racism." This underscores the league's commitment to fostering an inclusive environment and addressing such incidents promptly.
