Manchester City defender Kyle Walker called for stringent action to stem online abuse after receiving a “vile, racist and threatening” message following the 2-0 loss at Juventus on Wednesday.
Walker played the whole Champions League match in Turin but could not help Pep Guardiola’s team avoid a seventh defeat in 10 matches.
The England international took to his social media accounts on Thursday to post a screenshot of a message he received from an unnamed user on Instagram using obscene racist language.
“No one should ever have to endure the kind of vile, racist and threatening abuse I have since last night’s game,” Walker wrote on his X and Instagram accounts.
“It is never acceptable, and this needs to be stopped by both Instagram and the authorities for all who are suffering this abuse.
“To our fans, we will continue to work as a team to do better, to improve and to turn the corner together.”
The city condemned the racist attack. A club statement read: “Manchester City strongly condemns the racist abuse that Kyle Walker was subject to online following last night’s fixture.
“We will not tolerate discrimination of any kind, whether that be in stadiums or online.” A Premier League statement read: “The Premier League condemns all forms of discrimination. Racism has no place in our game or anywhere in society. We encourage anyone who hears or sees discriminatory abuse to report it so action can be taken. “The Premier League will support Kyle Walker and the club in tackling online hate.”
