After Arsenal’s disappointing loss to Manchester United in the FA Cup on Sunday, the wife of soccer player Kai Havertz became the target of online abuse. Sophia Havertz took to her Instagram story on Monday to share the disturbing messages she received. Among them was a particularly heinous threat, with someone stating they would “slaughter” her unborn baby.
The defeat came as Arsenal was knocked out of the cup following a penalty – shootout loss to the reigning champion, Manchester United. Germany striker Kai Havertz had a tough day on the field. He missed a golden opportunity to win the game at the Emirates Stadium when he fired over from close range. Then, during the penalty shootout, his penalty was saved, which ultimately contributed to Arsenal’s elimination.
Sophia Havertz was clearly disgusted by the abuse she endured. In her Instagram posts, she expressed her shock at the inhumane messages. “For anyone to think it’s okay to write something like this is so shocking to me… I hope you are ashamed of yourself,” she wrote. Regarding the threat to her baby, she pleaded for more respect, saying, “I’m not sure what to even say but please guys be more respectful. We are better than this”.
Soccer’s governing bodies and law enforcement have been making efforts to combat such online abuse directed at players. The England’s Football Association, for instance, announced last year that it was providing approximately 25,000 pounds ($32,000) to assist the police in cracking down on such incidents, especially during major tournaments like the European Championship. Back in 2021, during the Euros, England players Bukayo Saka, Marcus Rashford, and Jadon Sancho were victims of racial abuse on social media after missing penalties in the final shootout against Italy.
The world governing body FIFA has also stepped up. It has established a Social Media Protection Service (SMPS). This service aims to safeguard players, teams, and officials from online abuse by ensuring that their social media feeds are free from hate. The SMPS has revealed that during the 2023 Women’s World Cup, as many as 20% of the players received discriminatory, abusive, or threatening messages. Alarmingly, about half of these messages were homophobic, sexual, or sexist in nature.
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