Recent incidents involving Sir Jim Ratcliffe and Vin\u00edcius J\u00fanior have offered a new layer to the question Kick It Out is often asked when discrimination occurs: is it getting worse or are more people reporting it?<\/p>\n
The question has been posed again this week after four Premier League players highlighted racist abuse sent to them on social media after matches last weekend.<\/p>\n
Did Ratcliffe\u2019s language embolden racists when the Manchester United co-owner said the UK had been \u201ccolonised by immigrants\u201d<\/a>?<\/p>\n Did Vin\u00edcius\u2019s determination<\/a> to report discrimination in the match against Benfica encourage Wesley Fofana, Hannibal Mejbri, Tolu Arokodare and Romaine Mundle to do the same<\/a>?<\/p>\n Ratcliffe\u2019s language certainly doesn\u2019t help, and players have been calling this out for a long time. One thing is clear: they\u2019ve been showing the type of leadership that those who have more power in the game and society should follow.<\/p>\n Calling out discrimination is a courageous move, and should never be taken for granted. But players increasingly are taking that action because they\u2019ve had enough.<\/p>\n We saw that clearly last summer when the England defender Jess Carter called out the online abuse<\/a> she received during the Women\u2019s European Championship and the then Bournemouth winger Antoine Semenyo reported an incident<\/a> in the first Premier League game of the season at Anfield.<\/p>\n In many ways, they set the tone. Like all players, they wanted accountability. A man pleaded guilty<\/a> in the case of Carter and is due to be sentenced. Semenyo\u2019s alleged abuser is due to be tried<\/a>. We hope that, via the UK Football Policing Unit, similar action will follow the latest spate of abuse.<\/p>\n Meeting discrimination with accountability is the biggest way we can embolden everyone to stand up and report it.<\/p>\n There is still a long way to go, and the challenges faced in the online space are numerous. Reports of online discrimination sent to Kick It Out have risen by a third this season compared with the same point last season. Across football as a whole, reports to us are up by 45%, showing that the sport is often a lightning rod for what is happening in society.<\/p>\n England\u2019s Jess Carter called out online abuse she received during last summer\u2019s Women\u2019s Euros. Photograph: Allstar Picture Library Ltd\/Richard Sellers\/Apl\/Sportsphoto<\/p>\n The UK Football Policing Unit has said that abuse targeting players can come from overseas, that offenders are using VPNs (virtual private networks) on their phones so that their location is disguised, and abuse keeps evolving from emojis to AI pictures and even audio files. Social media firms have also reduced some of their monitoring networks so that abuse is slow to be taken down.<\/p>\n There is greater alliance and determination among football bodies, Kick It Out, the UK Football Policing Unit and the online regulator Ofcom to tackle this issue together. Clubs are supporting their players and working with police to bring accountability. We have worked with Ofcom to ensure it understands the unique challenges that players face, how abuse can have real-world consequences, and why the regulator must take action \u2013 including fines \u2013 if social media platforms cannot offer greater protections for users.<\/p>\n Now we must show collective effort to ensure we do all we can to hold perpetrators and social media companies accountable.<\/p>\n Players are bearing the brunt of the abuse and doing their bit. This is about the type of leadership we have seen from Vin\u00edcius and the Premier League quartet, and how that needs to be replicated at the top of football.<\/p>\n Real Madrid\u2019s Vin\u00edcius J\u00fanior reported discrimination during Real Madrid\u2019s match against Benfica. Photograph: Jos\u00e9 Sena Goul\u00e3o\/EPA<\/p>\n This is why words and actions matter. Ratcliffe let fans, players and football down. So did Jos\u00e9 Mourinho when he in effect denied Vin\u00edcius\u2019s claims by suggesting his goal celebration had contributed to what followed<\/a>, or Benfica could not be racist because Eus\u00e9bio was the best player in the club\u2019s history.<\/p>\n Their comments were roundly criticised across the game, which does so much to bring communities together and make them feel welcome. It showed a unity that we must safeguard and build upon at a crucial moment.<\/p>\n