“The disgusting behaviour by the few” – Lewis Hamilton speaks out against racial abuse towards English players after Euro final loss to Italy

“The disgusting behaviour by the few” – Lewis Hamilton is extremely disappointment with the racial abuse meted out to few English players after their Euro final loss to Italy.

England lost to Italy at a jam-packed Wembley stadium yesterday, going down in penalties against the Azzuris. The progress to the Euro finals is in itself a major achievement for a young side led by Gareth Southgate, but a section of the English fans were having none of it.

On came a barrage of abuse on social media towards a section of the squad, focusing more on players who missed the penalties like Marcus Rashford and Jadon Sancho.

Police are investigating online racism targeting Black England soccer players after the #Euro2020 final.

A mural of Marcus Rashford, who fights child food poverty, was also defaced.

The team is about 50% from immigrant families and led England to its first final in 50+ years. pic.twitter.com/HokEmgda1j

— AJ+ (@ajplus) July 12, 2021

Fellow Brit Lewis Hamilton was having none of it, and he posted a heartfelt message on Instagram, calling for an end to it. He also congratulated the national side for their incredible effort in the pan-Europe footballing extravaganza.

Lewis Hamilton’s message on Instagram

“So much was running through my mind as a watched the final moments of the match last night. On one hand I was so proud of how far we have come …to be in the final and with such a diverse team is a huge achievement we should all be proud of but as the players stepped up to take the penalties I was worried.

The pressure to deliver is felt by every sportsperson but when you are a minority representing your country this is a layered experience. Success would feel like a double victory, but a miss feels like a two-fold failure when its compounded with racist abuse.

I so badly wanted that win like all of you but for me, it was for much more than winning the euros, it was a much bigger picture. However, the disgusting behaviour by the few shows how much work that still needs to be done. I hope that this opens a conversation around acceptance.

We must work towards a society that doesn’t require Black players to prove their value or place in society only through victory. Ultimately everyone on the England team should be so proud of their achievement and how they represented us.”

About the author

Subham Jindal

A Red - be it Manchester United or Ferrari. Hails from the hills of Kalimpong, Darjeeling. Aspiring to become a respected Sports Management professional.

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