Tottenham Hotspur have issued a strongly worded statement condemning the racial abuse directed at forward Mathys Tel following their defeat to Paris Saint-Germain in the UEFA Super Cup.
The north London club, who lost 4-3 on penalties after letting slip a two-goal lead, branded the perpetrators “nothing but cowards” after the 20-year-old was targeted on social media. Tel, who entered the match as a substitute in the 79th minute, was one of two Spurs players to miss in the shootout.
“Mathys showed bravery and courage to step forward and take a penalty,” the club said. “Yet those who abuse him are nothing but cowards — hiding behind anonymous usernames and profiles to spout their abhorrent views. We will work with the authorities and social media platforms to take the strongest possible action against any individual we can identify. We stand with you, Mathys.”
Striker Dominic Solanke also rallied behind his teammate, describing the abuse as “pathetic” and posting online: “Will it ever stop? Anyone can miss a penalty. Big up bro for taking one.”
The incident comes amid wider concerns over racism in football. Last month, England defender Jess Carter revealed she was targeted with racial abuse during Euro 2025, leading the Lionesses to abandon the pre-match gesture of taking a knee. Carter expressed fears that teammate Lauren James would have faced “astronomical” levels of abuse had she missed in England’s quarter-final shootout against Sweden.
The issue recalls the aftermath of Euro 2020, when Marcus Rashford, Jadon Sancho, and Bukayo Saka were racially abused after missing penalties in the final against Italy. Anti-discrimination charity Kick It Out said that the level of accountability from both offenders and social media companies “is not being met.”
“If you’re a black player, it would be totally understandable to think, ‘Why would I want to take a penalty?’ That’s the state of the game right now, and the sad fact is, it’s nothing new,” the charity said. They called for football bodies, authorities, and regulator Ofcom to work together to “accelerate a plan that better protects players.”
Concerns over online abuse extend beyond football. In June, several tennis players — including Britain’s Katie Boulter — demanded more action from social media companies to combat harassment and threats. Boulter revealed she regularly receives abusive content and death threats, describing the situation as “the norm” for athletes.
Last season, the Premier League intervened to have 1,500 abusive posts removed from social media, working with law enforcement and a specialist support team. The league confirmed that players will take the knee before two matches in October to reaffirm anti-discrimination commitments.
The symbolic act of taking the knee gained prominence in 2020 following the murder of George Floyd in the United States. Initially performed before every Premier League match, the gesture was later reserved for select fixtures from the 2022-23 season onward.
On the pitch, Tottenham appeared poised for another trophy when they led PSG 2-0 with six minutes remaining in Athens. However, Gonçalo Ramos pulled one back in the 88th minute before heading in a dramatic equaliser deep into stoppage time. In the penalty shootout, Spurs defender Micky van de Ven saw his effort saved, and Tel’s miss handed PSG the opportunity to seal victory, with Nuno Mendes converting the decisive spot-kick.
Tel signed in June
Tel, signed permanently in June for around £30 million after a loan spell beginning in January, made 20 appearances last season and scored three goals. He was on the bench for Spurs’ Europa League final triumph over Manchester United.
While the club now turns its attention back to domestic and European competition, Tottenham have made clear that tackling racism off the pitch remains as important as their battles on it.
