Anti-discrimination charity Kick It Out says players may think twice about taking penalties in future after Tottenham’s Mathys Tel received online racist abuse.
France Under-21 international Tel is the latest player to be targeted on social media after he missed a spot kick in Wednesday night’s UEFA Super League penalty shoot-out defeat to Paris St Germain.
The Premier League club lost the shoot-out 4-3 after they had surrendered a late 2-0 lead in Italy to draw 2-2 after 90 minutes.
We are disgusted at the racial abuse that Mathys Tel has received on social media following last night’s UEFA Super Cup defeat.
— Tottenham Hotspur (@SpursOfficial) August 14, 2025
Mathys showed bravery and courage to step forward and take a penalty, yet those who abuse him are nothing but cowards - hiding behind anonymous… pic.twitter.com/rOF1WYeos4
Tottenham said they were “disgusted” by the abuse directed at Tel and Kick It Out claim social media companies are still not doing enough to combat online racism.
A Kick It Out statement read: “If you’re a Black player, it would be totally understandable to think, ‘Why would I want to take a penalty?’ That’s the state of the game right now, and the sad fact is, it’s nothing new.
“Players are routinely targeted with racism online and want action; we want action, too.
“Accountability from offenders and social media companies is a baseline, but it’s not being met.
“Football bodies, authorities, and the regulator Ofcom, must come together to accelerate a plan that better protects players.
“Their welfare should always be paramount, and we stand with Mathys Tel and all those who have suffered this continuing, racist abuse.”
Tottenham, who initially signed Tel on loan from Bayern Munich in January before making the move permanent in a £30million deal in June, said the player had shown “bravery and courage to step forward and take a penalty” .
The club said in a statement: “We are disgusted at the racial abuse that Mathys Tel has received on social media following last night’s UEFA Super Cup defeat.
📢 Discrimination in football remains at record levels.
— Kick It Out (@kickitout) August 6, 2025
From sexism to racism, online abuse to ableism — here’s what the numbers from 2024/25 tell us.
👇 Click the link below to read more.
“Mathys showed bravery and courage to step forward and take a penalty, yet those who abuse him are nothing but cowards – hiding behind anonymous usernames and profiles to spout their abhorrent views.
“We will work with the authorities and social media platforms to take the strongest possible action against any individual we are able to identify. We stand with you, Mathys.”
Tottenham led 2-0 until the 85th minute at the Bluenergy Stadium in Udine, through goals from Micky van de Ven and Cristian Romero before late efforts from Lee Kang-in and Goncalo Ramos hauled PSG level.
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