By Oluyemi Israel
Tottenham Hotspur forward Mathys Tel has said he would not let online racist abuse bring him down after missing a penalty in his team’s UEFA Super Cup loss to Paris St-Germain.
The abuse came shortly after the Spurs were defeated in a penalty shootout in Italy last Wednesday.
Tel had missed one of the spot-kicks during the match, which triggered a wave of racist comments on social media.
Speaking about the incident on Tuesday, Tel admitted he felt disappointed about the result but made it clear that the abuse would not break his spirit.
He said, “I was also disappointed about Wednesday night, but racism has no place in our society.”
He added, “I know where I come from, where I started, and none of this will bring me down. With work and humility, respect reigns.”
Tottenham Hotspur supported their 20-year-old French striker, saying the club felt “disgusted” by the abuse aimed at him.
In a separate but related incident, Bournemouth’s Antoine Semenyo also experienced racist abuse after his team lost 4-2 to Liverpool at Anfield on Friday.
Police arrested a 47-year-old man from Liverpool on suspicion of racially abusing Semenyo.
Authorities released the man on conditional bail and banned him from attending football matches.
Tel used his social media platform to speak out, showing determination to rise above the hate.
Meanwhile, law enforcement took swift action in Semenyo’s case to ensure accountability.