Mumbai, January 5: The Premier League and Newcastle United have strongly condemned racist abuse directed at midfielder Joe Willock on social media after the club’s recent win over Crystal Palace. The abuse, which included racial slurs and violent threats, was reportedly sent to the player through direct messages on Instagram on Sunday evening.
In a statement posted on social media, the Premier League said, “We join Newcastle in strongly condemning this abhorrent abuse and have offered our full support to Joe and the club. Football is for everyone and there is no place for discriminatory or threatening abuse in our game or anywhere in society. Any individuals identified and found guilty of discrimination will face the strongest possible consequences, including club bans and legal prosecution. We are disgusted by racist abuse received by Joe Willock on Instagram on Sunday evening.”
Newcastle United confirmed that the abuse followed their victory and included deeply troubling messages. In their statement, the club said, “Following our win over Crystal Palace, Joe received several direct messages from an Instagram account that included racial slurs and deeply disturbing threats of violence towards Joe and his family.
It further stated, "Sadly, Joe has faced this before. Each time, we have acted quickly to support him and that has been our immediate priority again. We have swiftly reported this matter to the police and we will fully support any investigation to identify the person responsible and hold them accountable, wherever they are."
"This can only happen with meaningful action from Meta, Instagram's owners. We urge Meta to give the police all the information they need to identify the perpetrator, and to do so quickly. Removing content and applying message filters is not enough. Social media companies must do more to protect users and support the prosecution of those who seek to break the law on their platforms. We stand firmly with Joe and anyone else who faces this kind of abuse,” the club said.
The club stated that its immediate focus has been on supporting Willock and ensuring the matter is fully investigated. The incident has raised serious concerns about player safety on social media.
