English football is grappling with a wave of racial hatred that affected four players over the past weekend. Tolu Arokodare of Wolverhampton and Romaine Mundle of Sunderland are additional players who, after Sunday's matches, fell victim to racist aggression on social media. They joined Wesley Fofana of Chelsea and Hannibal Mejbri of Burnley, who were abused the day before. Clubs pledge to fight the perpetrators.

Systemic Scale of Hatred

Four players from different clubs were attacked on racial grounds within just 48 hours of Premier League matches.

Solidarity of English Clubs

Chelsea, Burnley, Wolves, and Sunderland issued a joint condemnation of the perpetrators, cooperating in securing evidence of hatred.

Debate on Impunity Online

Wesley Fofana and Hannibal Mejbri publicly criticized the lack of effective moderation tools on platforms like Instagram.

Unwelcoming Reception for Tolu Arokodare

Wolves' new signing received a series of insults after missing a penalty, prompting an immediate reaction from the club.

The passing weekend in England's top football divisions was overshadowed by a series of "disgusting" racist incidents. Wesley Fofana and Hannibal Mejbri were the first to face attacks, following Saturday's draw between Chelsea and Burnley at Stamford Bridge. The situation deteriorated drastically on Sunday when Wolverhampton Wanderers reported messages directed at Nigerian striker Tolu Arokodare. The player became a target of hate after missing a penalty in the 0:1 loss to Crystal Palace. Romaine Mundle of Sunderland also joined the list of victims, attacked after his performance against Fulham. All involved clubs issued firm statements condemning the perpetrators and sharing screenshots documenting the scale of aggression. Wesley Fofana, who received a red card on Saturday, published a series of messages full of insults, adding a bitter comment about the lack of real penalties for those committing online hate. Burnley FC described the situation as "disgusting," and the club's player, Hannibal Mejbri, publicly appealed for educating future generations to curb such behaviors, which in 2026 remain a plague in football's corridors. The fight against racism in British sport gained a systemic character after 2021, when radical legal steps were taken against online hatred following the European Championship final. Currently, the British justice system closely cooperates with tech giants to identify anonymous aggressors. Against the backdrop of these scandalous events, the sporting situation in the league table is becoming increasingly tense. Chelsea, led by Liam Rosenior, dropped valuable points at home, severely undermining their ambitions to fight for a top-four finish. Meanwhile, Aston Villa salvaged a draw with Leeds United thanks to a goal by Tammy Abraham, allowing them to remain among the candidates for Champions League play. Meanwhile, James Milner broke the historic record for Premier League appearances, the only positive note of this matchday. „Nothing changes. People are never punished.” — Wesley Fofana „It's 2026 and there still ppl like that ... Educate yourself and your kids pls.” — Hannibal Mejbri Number of Recorded Racism Cases Over the Weekend: Saturday: 2, Sunday: 2 4 — players fell victim to racism in one weekend

Mentioned People

  • Tolu Arokodare — Nigerian striker for Wolverhampton Wanderers, victim of racism.
  • Wesley Fofana — Chelsea defender who made racist messages public.
  • Hannibal Mejbri — Burnley midfielder, appealed for education in the fight against racism.
  • Romaine Mundle — Young Sunderland midfielder, the fourth victim of attacks over the weekend.