Luton Town Football Club has taken a stand against racism after striker Elijah Adebayo was sent a racist comment on social media during Wednesday’s Championship match against Sunderland. This is not the first time Adebayo has been subjected to such abuse, as he was targeted last season while playing in the Premier League.
The incident last season left Adebayo feeling “tired” and considering not reporting it due to his disillusionment. However, this time around, Luton has taken swift action by reporting the abuse to both the police and social media company Meta, who are now investigating the matter.
In a club statement titled “Is it ever going to stop?” Luton condemned the racist abuse directed at Adebayo. The statement highlighted the fact that Adebayo had previously endured a wave of vile and disgusting messages from faceless racists, and now, a year later, he has been targeted again.
The racist comment was sent to Adebayo’s Instagram account at 8.28pm BST on Wednesday evening, following his performance in the game against Sunderland where he scored his first goal of the season. Luton have made it clear that they stand with Adebayo and will not tolerate any form of discrimination within their club.
Speaking about the incident, a spokesperson for Luton stated, “After Elijah notified us following last night’s game with Sunderland, we reported the incident to the police and to Meta. It is now being investigated.”
The footballing world has once again been reminded of the ongoing issue of racism within the sport, and Luton’s response serves as a reminder that action must be taken to combat discrimination at all levels.