Chelsea French defender Wesley Fofana and Burnley Tunisian midfielder Hannibal Mejbri were both sent racist abuse following the clubs’ Premier League match on Saturday, BBC Sport reports.
Fofana, who was sent off for a second yellow card in the 1-1 draw at Stamford Bridge, shared several screenshots of private messages he received on Instagram after the game.
He then posted a message which read: “2026, it’s still the same thing, nothing changes. These people are never punished.
“You create big campaigns against racism, but nobody actually does anything.”
Earlier Mejbri shared an image of an offensive message on Instagram and in another post wrote: “It’s 2026 and there are still people like that. Educate yourself and your kids, please.”
Chelsea said they were “appalled and disgusted” by the “vile” abuse, saying it was “abhorrent and will not be tolerated”.
In a statement they added: “Such behaviour is completely unacceptable and runs counter to the values of the game and everything we stand for as a club. There is no room for racism.
“We stand unequivocally with Wes. He has our full support, as do all our players who are too often forced to endure this hatred simply for doing their job. We will work with the relevant authorities and platforms in identifying the perpetrators and take the strongest possible action.”
Also Read: Confronting The Persisting Challenge Of Racial Abuse In Football
Burnley said they were “disgusted” by the abuse, adding in a statement: “The club has reported the post to Instagram’s parent company, Meta, and expects strong support from them, together with the Premier League and the police, and will work to ensure that the individual responsible is identified and investigated.
“There is no place for this in our society and we condemn it unreservedly.
“The club continues to be unequivocal in its stance – we have a zero-tolerance approach to any form of discrimination.
“Hannibal will receive the full backing from the club and from the Burnley fans, who we have already seen condemning the abuse. There is no room for racism.”
The Premier League has condemned the abuse and said “any individuals identified and found guilty of discrimination will face the strongest possible consequences, including club bans and legal prosecution”.
