Brentford have vowed to get the individual who sent Ivan Toney disgusting, racist, and abusive messages via Instagram account after the England striker scored the equalizer against Arsenal in the Premier League.
The striker, who had previously suffered from online racism, continued to face the same issue even after the social media companies kicked against it and the Premier League compelled the players to take a knee before any match to show their fight against it.
Ivan Toney and his teammate Bryan Mbeumo were also sent racist messages via Instagram following a 0-0 draw with Birmingham on April 6, 2021 in the Championship.
Brentford moved to condemn the incident after both players suffered from racist abuse with the caption “this has to stop now.”
Ivan Toney and his teammate Rico Henry were targeted by racists during Brentford’s win against Everton at Goodison Park on May 15, 2022.
Ivan Toney was the reason why Everton’s Jarrad Branthwaite was sent off in the first half.
After the abuse, Ivan Toney vows to do everything in his power to punish the individual who abused him and his family.
His friend and teammate Henry wanted the issue investigated by the security agencies after the match. Henry scored the winning goal to contribute to the sacking of Frank Lampard as Everton coach.
In October 2022, Ivan Toney faced a similar issue, and the perpetrator is currently in court waiting for judgment.
Brentford released a statement after the abuse was sent to Ivan Toney, in which the club claimed they were ‘disgusted and saddened’ to hear about it.
The club went ahead and said they wouldn’t tolerate such an inappropriate message and would clamp down on the individual who sent the message to their striker.
The club also called on the fans to respect and embrace diversity in the Premier League. “There is no room for racism” the club added.
Arsenal, who are in support of Ivan Toney, also released a statement saying they are behind the English striker and are presently working with Brentford to identify the individuals who sent a couple of those messages.
The Premier League responded to the incident stating that racism has no place in football and nobody should have to face the kind of abuse Toney faced.
The Premier League will have to do their part in providing the necessary information to aid the investigation.
Racism is a menace in football society that is targeted at some players. Apart from the Premier League, Vinicius Jr., who plays for Real Madrid in the Spanish La Liga, suffered similar racist abuses while on the pitch.
Mario Balotelli once walked off the pitch in a match after a group of fans targeted him in Italy.
Pundits have argued that media companies should always provide the necessary information about a racist to the security agencies. That is the best way to curb the activities of those disgusting fans who cannot hold their emotions when their team loses or gets a draw.
What do you think about this disgusting behaviour and what are the measures that should be put in place to end this attacks. Share your opinion with us via the comment section.
