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Daily Mirror
Daily Mirror
Sport
Freddie Keighley

FA urges government to crack down on "keyboard warriors" as more players racially abused

The Football Association has called on the government and social media companies to take action to stamp out the abuse of players online.

The fresh plea comes after Manchester United defender Axel Tuanzebe was targeted by racist trolls for the second time in under a fortnight.

Manchester United Women star Lauren James also suffered racist abuse over the weekend, one week after her brother, Chelsea full-back Reece James, was targeted.

The vile abuse players are suffering has led to renewed calls for social media companies to require proof of identification to sign up, and for the government to take a harder stance.

The FA echoed those calls in a statement published on Sunday night which reads: "It has been yet another weekend where players are facing discriminatory abuse and having to deal with anonymous keyboard warriors who hide in a world of impunity.

"At the FA, we believe enough is enough.

"We will do everything we can to stamp discrimination out of the game, but we implore the government to act quickly and bring in the appropriate legislation so this abuse has real-life consequences.

Tuanzebe has been sent racist abuse twice in the last fornight (Manchester United via Getty Imag)

"Social media companies need to step up and take accountability and action to ban abusers from their platforms, gather evidence that can lead to prosecution and support making their platforms free from this type of abhorrent abuse.

"We stand with Lauren James, Axel Tuanzebe and every victim of discrimination in all its forms. It's time for change."

The racial abuse of Tuanzebe, as well as his Manchester United teammates Anthony Martial and Marcus Rashford, prompted Ole Gunnar Solskjaer to urge action last month.

"We work with the authorities and it has to be stopped, this way of discrimination on social media," said the Red Devils boss.

"We can't do a lot, we just have to work with the platforms, and they've got to make sure we're stronger to stop this.

"We all know there's freedom of speech, but this crosses a line of what is acceptable - this is unacceptable behaviour in 2021.

"The ignorance, you feel sorry for them, you've just got to help them and sometimes you help them by taking away the chance to express themselves."

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