Fulham condemns ‘vile’ racist and homophobic online abuse aimed at defender Bassey

English soccer club Fulham has condemned the “racist and homophobic abuse” aimed at defender Calvin Bassey on social media following the FA Cup win at Manchester United on Sunday.

The 25-year-old Bassey, who is Black and plays for Nigeria, shared some of the abuse he received online following the penalty shootout win at Old Trafford. He scored the opening goal in the fifth-round game, which finished 1-1.

“We strongly condemn this abhorrent behaviour which has no place in football or society. Such actions are entirely unacceptable, and we stand in full support of Calvin Bassey,” the London-based club said in a statement. “We will do everything in our power to work with the relevant authorities in identifying the perpetrators of these vile messages and taking the strongest form of action against them.”

Social media companies have long been urged to do more to fight rampant abuse on their platforms, where anonymity can provide protection for perpetrators. ___

AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer