Tottenham condemn vile racist message directed at Udogie after Liverpool win

02 October 2023 , 11:21

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Destiny Udogie has been subjected to racist messages

Tottenham have condemned the racist messages aimed at Destiny Udogie following Saturday's win over Liverpool.

The north Londoners saw off the Reds in stoppage time at the weekend, preserving their own unbeaten start to the season. The game was incident packed and Udogie has been targeted after playing a role in the red card which was handed to Diogo Jota in the second-half.

The Liverpool forward was dismissed for two bookable offences but his first caution came after a challenge on Udogie, but there appeared to be minimal - if any - contact. Jota then fouled the same player minutes later, resulting in him getting his marching orders.

The summer signing has since copped unnecessary abuse with Tottenham looking to take action as they underlined their commitment to their player.

A club statement reads: "We are disgusted at the racist messages directed towards Destiny Udogie on social media following Saturday’s game against Liverpool. We will work with the Premier League and, where possible, take action against any individual we are able to identify. We stand with you Destiny."

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Liverpool later released a statement of their own, saying: "Liverpool FC condemns all forms of racism and discrimination and will work with the relevant authorities and social media platforms to help identify those responsible and apply the strongest possible consequences."

Emotions were particularly high in the capital on Saturday night as Liverpool felt they were on the receiving end of a refereeing injustice. They have particular issue with a first-half goal that was wrongly ruled out for offside with VAR then failing to intervene.

The PGMOL have since issued an apology and cited "human error" for the mistake. There is also debate over both red cards, the first which was given to Curtis Jones, and the second to Jota with their nine-men able to hold off Tottenham until the 96th minute.

Destiny Udogie helped his side overcome Liverpool

Troy Townsend, Head of Player Engagement at Kick It Out, said: "Kick It Out is appalled to see the online racist abuse targeting Destiny Udogie following Saturday’s Premier League fixture between Tottenham Hotspur FC and Liverpool FC. No amount of controversy or high emotion surrounding a game can ever warrant this abhorrent outburst.

We are extremely concerned that players are being continually targeted on social media following games in the worst possible terms and it is vital that those responsible are held to account. High-profile players have been targeted almost every weekend since the season began in August.

"This worrying trend is a sad reminder of how much work remains to combat discrimination in football, and it is vital that social media companies help address this problem with the seriousness it requires.

"We have received several reports regarding the racist abuse targeting Udogie and have shared these reports with the relevant authorities. Kick It Out is here to support anyone who has been the target of discrimination and we would encourage those who sadly witness abuse of any kind to report it to us."

Liverpool have issued a statement after the VAR catastrophe and said: "Xuch failings have already been categorised as “significant human error” is also unacceptable. Any and all outcomes should be established only by the review and with full transparency.

"This is vital for the reliability of future decision-making as it applies to all clubs with learnings being used to make improvements to processes in order to ensure this kind of situation cannot occur again. In the meantime, we will explore the range of options available, given the clear need for escalation and resolution."

Samuel Meade