‘Very easy to abuse online without consequences’

Chelsea head coach Liam Rosenior has condemned the racial abuse aimed at a string of Premier League players, warning it is “very easy” for social media users to target them without facing punishment.

Blues defender Wesley Fofana was sent a series of abusive messages on Instagram last weekend after being sent off during his side’s 1-1 draw at home to Burnley, with Clarets midfielder Hannibal Mejbri also subjected to online vitriol.

Wolves striker Tolu Arokodare and Sunderland winger Romaine Mundle were targeted as well, in what anti-discrimination group Kick It Out described as an “appalling weekend”.

Speaking before his side’s visit to Premier League leaders Arsenal on Sunday, Rosenior said it had been a difficult experience for Fofana.

“Wes is a tough guy. He is a good guy. It affects you in ways that shouldn’t exist. It shouldn’t exist, whether it is online, whether it is verbal, in person.

“It is just something that we have to try our very best to eradicate from life, let alone football. But Wes is absolutely fine.

“In a perfect world, players don’t take notice of what is on social media. The reality is that they do because they are human beings.

The UK Football Policing Unit (UKFPU) is investigating the incidents and said it would “do everything possible to identify those responsible and bring them to justice”.

Fofana shared several screenshots of private messages he received after the game and then posted a message which read: “2026, it’s still the same thing, nothing changes. These people are never punished.

On Thursday, Wolves manager Rob Edwards and Sunderland counterpart Regis le Bris also hit out at the abuse their players had suffered.

Nigerian Arokodare, 25, had been part of the Wolves side beaten 1-0 at Crystal Palace on Sunday.

“[It’s been a] really difficult week for him [Arokodare],” said Edwards. “He was upset and angered by it, understandably so.

“We have supported him, and we have had a few individual chats with him. We have spoken about it as a group to make sure we get around him and support him as well.”

Sunderland’s English winger Mundle, 22, was also targeted following his substitute appearance in Sunday’s 3-1 home defeat by Fulham.

“What happened to Romaine is unacceptable – we stand with him,” said Le Bris.

Police Scotland has also said it was investigating after Rangers players Emmanuel Fernandez and Djeidi Gassama shared screenshots of racist abuse aimed at them on their social media accounts after Sunday’s 2-2 draw at Livingston.

Kick It Out said reports of online abuse were at record levels, increasing by a third compared with the same point last season.

Mike Ankers, UKFPU deputy director, told BBC Radio 5 Live the police unit has had an increase of about 115% in the number of reports.

“I don’t know really why, but I repeat – we don’t want to accept that,” added Le Bris.

“We have to have a clear position and I think it’s the case here at Sunderland, we want to defend values and when someone, a group of people, wants to threaten those values it’s important to react.”

Edwards added: “There have been a number of these instances, and very high-profile over this last week, which is really sad.

“They say, ‘I’m OK, I have had it before’. I think that is what is difficult. That is tough to hear.”

Edwards said Arokodare had trained this week and, despite being affected by the abuse, was “all right to play” in his side’s home game against Aston Villa on Friday, which kicks off at 20:00 GMT.

However, Le Bris said Mundle “might be sidelined for a few weeks or months” with an injury and would miss Sunderland’s game at Bournemouth on Saturday.

Responding to the Fofana and Mejbri abuse, a spokesperson for Meta, which owns platforms including Instagram, told BBC Sport: “No-one should be subjected to racist abuse, and we remove this content when we find it.