Manchester City defender Kyle Walker has urged social media platforms to address the rampant issue of online racism after sharing a hateful message he received following his team’s 2-0 loss to Juventus in the Champions League.
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The 34-year-old England international, who played the entire match in Turin, took to Instagram to highlight the abuse, including a message where he was called a “stupid ass n****.”
Walker described the comment as one of many “vile” messages he has endured since the defeat.
“No one should ever be subjected to the kind of vile, racist, and threatening abuse I’ve received online since last night’s match,” Walker wrote. “@instagram and the authorities need to stop this for the sake of all who are suffering this abuse.
It is never acceptable. To our fans, we will continue to work as a team to improve and turn the corner together.”
Manchester City, currently struggling in the Champions League group stages and sitting in 22nd place, quickly issued a statement in solidarity with Walker.
“Manchester City strongly condemns the racist abuse that Kyle Walker was subject to online following last night’s fixture,” the club said. “We refuse to tolerate discrimination of any kind, whether in stadiums or online. We will be offering Kyle our full support following this disgusting treatment.”
This incident further highlights the urgent need for stricter regulations and accountability on social media platforms to combat online abuse.
Walker’s call to action resonates across the sports world, where players continue to face unacceptable behavior online.
