Tottenham defender Kevin Danso has issued a defiant statement after suffering racist abuse following Saturday’s draw with Brighton.
The Austria international was within the starting XI for Spurs against the Seagulls, playing at centre-back alongside Micky van de Ven.
Despite twice taking the lead, the sport finished 2-2, with Brighton scoring an injury time equaliser through Georginio Rutter.
Danso lost possession within the build-up to that late goal and revealed on social media that he was sent racist abuse online after the match.
The 27-year-old wrote on Instagram: ‘Not the result we would have liked yesterday. We gave every thing, we learn and we move.
‘I’ve also seen the comments. The racist abuse has no place on this game or anywhere. But it surely doesn’t define me, and it won’t distract me from what is significant. I do know who I’m, what I stand for, and why I play.
‘Now it’s about staying focused, working harder, and coming back stronger for the following games. We keep pushing, we keep believing, and we give our all each time we step on that pitch.
‘Stronger. Together. On to the following.’
Tottenham have also issued a press release in support of the player they signed from Lens last 12 months.
A club statement read: ‘Since yesterday’s fixture against Brighton, which took place through the Premier League’s No Room For Racism weekend, Kevin Danso has been, and continues to be, subject to significant and abhorrent racist abuse on social media.
‘We now have heard and seen vile, dehumanising racism. Behaviour that’s no doubt a criminal offence. It’s going to not be tolerated.
‘The club is taking immediate motion. We’re reporting all identified content to the Metropolitan Police and to the suitable authorities within the country where perpetrators reside, in addition to to relevant social media platforms. We’ll push for the strongest possible motion against each and all and sundry we discover.
‘Kevin has our complete and unconditional support as a player and as an individual. Nobody at this club will ever stand alone within the face of this.
‘Nothing about form or league position can ever excuse or explain racist abuse. There is no such thing as a connection between performance on the pitch and the best to focus on a player with discrimination. Criticism of performances is an element of the sport. Racism will not be.
‘We work with specialist third parties dedicated to monitoring online abuse, investigating incidents and identifying perpetrators.
‘Abusers could face custodial sentences, football banning orders, criminal records, fines, community orders or police-mandated educational programmes. We now have successfully secured criminal convictions following abuse of our staff and players, including individuals based overseas, and now we have also issued indefinite Club bans.
‘We call on X, Instagram and all platforms to act quickly and decisively when racist abuse is reported. We also encourage anyone who sees abuse of this sort to report it on to us at report@tottenhamhotspur.com so we are able to take the strongest possible motion.
‘There is no such thing as a place for racism at Tottenham Hotspur. There is no such thing as a place for racism in football.’
The draw on Saturday left Spurs within the relegation zone, one point adrift of West Ham in seventeenth.
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