Wesley Fofana and Hannibal Mejbri have publicly shared racist messages they received on social media in the aftermath of Chelsea\u2019s Premier League fixture with Burnley.<\/p>\n
Both players posted screenshots of the abuse. Fofana wrote: “2026, it\u2019s still the same thing, nothing changes. These people are never punished,” and added: “You create big campaigns against racism, but nobody actually does anything.” Mejbri posted: “It\u2019s 2026 and there are still people like that. Educate yourself and your kids, please.”<\/p>\n
Both Chelsea and Burnley issued strongly worded statements in support of their players, with the Blues saying they were “appalled and disgusted” by the abuse. Chelsea added: “The targeted racist abuse Wes has been subjected to following today\u2019s Premier League fixture against Burnley is abhorrent and will not be tolerated,” and continued: “Such behaviour is completely unacceptable and runs counter to the values of the game and everything we stand for as a club. There is no room for racism.<\/p>\n
“We stand unequivocally with Wes. He has our full support, as do all our players who are too often forced to endure this hatred simply for doing their job. We will work with the relevant authorities and platforms in identifying the perpetrators and take the strongest possible action.” <\/p>\n
Anti-discrimination group Kick it Out called for tougher action online and pressed social media platforms to improve protections. They said: “Football is working together to tackle this issue alongside the UK Football Policing Unit and Ofcom, but social media companies must do more to offer protections to players and help improve accountability when incidents occur.”<\/p>\n
The episode follows a troubled week in which Real Madrid forward Vinicius Junior alleged racial abuse from Benfica\u2019s Gianluca Prestianni. Midweek referee Fran\u00e7ois Letexier initiated UEFA\u2019s three-step protocol after the allegation; the game was stopped for 10 minutes, information was passed to the fourth official, Vinicius Jr left the pitch and refused to continue playing, and the match later restarted. Abuse from Benfica\u2019s supporters circulated widely on social media and no public address warning was issued to the crowd.<\/p>\n
The 2025\u201326 campaign has seen repeated incidents of racial and homophobic abuse, online and in stadiums, and advocates are urging stronger accountability from authorities and platforms.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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