Spurs forward Mathys Tel is adamant he will not be brought down by the racist abuse he received online following Spurs’ UEFA Super Cup defeat to Paris Saint-Germain.
Tel was targeted on social media after missing a penalty in Tottenham’s 4-3 shootout loss last Wednesday (August 13).
The 20-year-old came on as a late substitute in new boss Thomas Frank’s first match in charge and was one of two Tottenham players to see their efforts saved after Spurs squandered a two-goal lead to take the match into extra time.
Owing to the racist abuse Tel suffered, Spurs released a statement condemning the abuse as “disgusting” and branding those responsible as “nothing but cowards.”
Tel signed for Tottenham from Bayern Munich in June for £30 million after last season’s loan was made permanent.
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What did Tel say?
Tel spoke publicly for the first time since the incident on Wednesday, when he released a message via his Instagram account.
“After the last a few days have passed, I wanted to thank you for all your messages of support!” Tel wrote.
“I was also disappointed about Wednesday night, but racism has no place in our society. Every day is a learning curve, and every day is a lesson.
“I know where I come from, where I started and none of this will bring me down. With work and humility, respect reigns.”
Tel’s words add to the growing number of footballers who have been forced to address racist abuse in recent seasons, with Bournemouth forward Antoine Semenyo the most recent player to suffer such abuse.
Semenyo was targeted in the Cherries’ opening Premier League game against Liverpool at Anfield, with the match pausing briefly as the Ghana international altered the referee.
The Merseyside Police have reportedly identified and arrested a man who is suspected of public racial abuse, with conditional bail granted and a stadium ban in force.
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