The racist abuse of England players – Marcus Rashford, Bukayo Saka and Jadon Sancho who were targetted online following their Euro 2020 final defeat has led to the arrest of five people.
The racist abuse of England players Marcus Rashford, Bukayo Saka and Jadon Sancho went viral after they missed penalties in the Euro 2020 final. Chief Constable Mark Roberts said the abuse was “utterly vile”.
“If we identify that you are behind this crime, we will track you down and you will face the serious consequences of your shameful actions,” he said.
Police said “a torrent of racist comments aimed at some of the team’s black players” appeared on social media platforms on Sunday, after England lost on penalties to Italy in the final at Wembley. The UK Football Policing Unit said its team was working through “a significant number of reports of racist abuse”.
The latest arrest was made by Cheshire Police, who have arrested a 42-year-old man from Runcorn on suspicion of displaying threatening, abusive or insulting written material that is likely to stir up racial hatred.
The force said he was arrested as part of an investigation into a racist social media message, which was posted after the Euro 2020 final. The man has been released under investigation pending further inquiries.