Wolverhampton Wanderers Football Club has disclosed instances of “appalling and illegal” racial harassment targeting their forward Tolu Arokodare, marking him as the most recent Premier League athlete to endure prejudiced assaults on social media platforms.
Following Sunday’s 1-0 loss to Crystal Palace, where Arokodare failed to convert a penalty kick, he was then barraged with racially charged insults from numerous online profiles, as stated in an official announcement by the club.
Sunderland Football Club subsequently disclosed that Romaine Mundle also experienced comparable aggression online after entering the game as a substitute during their 3-1 defeat against Fulham.
This revelation comes after comparable incidents involving Chelsea’s defender Wesley Fofana and Burnley’s Hannibal Mejbri, both of whom faced online harassment following their teams’ 1-1 draws on Saturday.
“Wolverhampton Wanderers expresses extreme displeasure regarding the many instances of racially motivated harassment, originating from various individuals, aimed at Tolu Arokodare on social media platforms subsequent to today’s match versus Crystal Palace,” stated the club from the Midlands region.
“Racism has no legitimate presence — whether within the sport of football, across digital networks, or throughout any part of society. We unequivocally denounce this offensive and illegal conduct with the utmost severity. Tolu receives our complete and steadfast backing.
“No athlete ought to be subjected to such animosity merely for carrying out their professional duties,” the squad declared. “We unequivocally support him, as well as all professional football players compelled to tolerate this mistreatment from unidentified online profiles seemingly operating without consequence.
“The organization has informed the appropriate online services about these messages and intends to collaborate with the Premier League and official bodies to assist in pinpointing the culprits and guaranteeing suitable measures are implemented. Our stance will remain one of absolute intolerance towards all manifestations of prejudice.”
In an Instagram story, Arokodare expressed: “It continues to be astonishing that we compete in an era where individuals possess such extensive liberty to disseminate overt racism entirely free from repercussions.
“Such persons ought to be excluded from our sport, and it is incumbent upon us, collectively, to undertake measures to penalize anyone who sullies the game in this manner, irrespective of their identity.”
Sunderland commented: “The repulsive conduct demonstrated by several people is entirely inadmissible and will not be countenanced by the club in any situation whatsoever.”
“The organization is proactively collaborating with the pertinent legal entities and digital service providers to pinpoint the individuals accountable, and we are committed to enacting the most severe disciplinary actions at our disposal.”
“These perpetrators do not embody Sunderland AFC, our core principles, or our local community — and their presence is not desired in Wearside,” the squad declared.
Last week, UEFA, the principal football organization in Europe, initiated an inquiry into assertions made by Real Madrid attacker Vinícius Júnior, who stated he suffered racial slurs on the field from Benfica’s Gianluca Prestianni during a Champions League fixture held in Lisbon. The player from Argentina has refuted these accusations.
Fofana, having previously posted screenshots of offensive communications sent to his Instagram profile, had earlier expressed a disheartened perspective on the effectiveness of current procedures.
“In 2026, the situation remains unchanged; absolutely nothing progresses. These individuals consistently evade accountability,” he shared.
“Significant anti-racism initiatives are launched, yet in reality, no substantive action is ever taken by anyone.”
Mejbri had similarly published offensive communications he was sent and commented on his Instagram story: “It’s the year 2026, and such individuals regrettably still exist. Please, take the time to educate yourselves and your children.”
Chelsea stated: “Our solidarity with Wes is absolute and unconditional. He is granted our complete endorsement, as are all our athletes who far too frequently must tolerate this animosity merely for fulfilling their professional roles.
“We commit to collaborating with the appropriate authorities and digital entities to pinpoint the offenders and implement the most stringent measures conceivable.”
Burnley further commented: “Such behavior has no proper position within our community, and we unequivocally denounce it.”
The anti-prejudice organization Kick It Out declared in a Sunday announcement: “Athletes are confronting prejudice, and we have received an unprecedented number of reports from throughout the football world this season, yet we acknowledge the exasperation concerning its persistent proliferation across online platforms.
“While spoken words hold significance, tangible deeds carry greater weight. The football community is collaborating to confront this problem in conjunction with the UK Football Policing Unit and Ofcom, however, social media corporations are obligated to provide enhanced safeguards for athletes and contribute to strengthening accountability whenever such occurrences arise.”
Details provided by PA contributed to the compilation of this article.
