Sterling calls for action against racist online trolls as survey reveals shocking numbers

Manchester City star Raheem Sterling has called for social media platforms to show real leadership and impose stringent measures on racist abuse. According to a latest study, more than 3000 explicit messs were sent to Premier League players during six-week Project Restart period. Man City's Sterling, Crystal Palace's Wilfried Zaha and Wycombe's Adebayo Akinfenwa were amongst players targeted most, receiving more than 50% of abuse. 

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Sterling racist trolls: Study reveals Premier league stars received more than 3000 abusive public texts during Restart

A study by Professional Footballers’ Association in partnership with data science company Signify Group and supported by Kick It Out, studied  Twitter accounts of 44 black and ethnic mirity current and former players. se included 39 from Premier League, Women’s Super League and EFL and five from Serie A and Bundesliga including likes of Jadon Sancho and Romelu Lukaku. In six-week period during Project Restart, of 3000 explicit texts, more than 56% of discriminatory abuse was racist, while close to 43% of  Premier League players experienced racist abuse online. 

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50% of total online abuse recorded in this study was received by three focus players, Sterling, Zaha and Akinfenwa, who spoke up on Black Lives Matter during same period. Man City winger said that football and social media platforms need to step up and show real leadership and tackle online abuse. England international said that he is increasingly doubting wher re is a will to make a difference considering techlogy is available to do same. Akinfenwa said that time for talking had passed and players don't want to hear warm words of comfort anymore.  research also highlighted a blind spot for social media platforms, with more than 29% of abuse came in form of emojis.

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PFA and Kick It Out are set to urge stakeholders of game to collate and adopt a centralised system, which lead to stadium bans, suspensions or prosecutions within amateur and grassroots football. Sanjay Bhandari, chair of Kick It Out said that report confirmed that social media has become a battleground of hate with very little consequences for abusers. Bhandari said that players and victims are let down by cracks in system, and y need government, law enforcement, leagues and clubs to commit to working toger to fill in those cracks to put a crackdown on abuse. 

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(Im Courtesy: Raheem Sterling Instagram)