The seven-game ban given to Tottenham's Rodrigo Bentancur for a racial slur about team-mate Son Heung-min has prompted discussions on racism towards East and South East Asian players. This incident highlights the concerning rise in reported racist abuses in the football community, particularly against players of East Asian descent.
Kick It Out's statistics reveal a stark rise in 'player-targeted' racist abuse, with 395 reports for the 2023-24 season compared to 277 the previous year. Alarmingly, 55% of these reports were aimed at players from an East Asian background, underscoring the urgency for football to address this growing issue.
Samuel Okafor, chief executive of Kick It Out, emphasized the need for football to listen to fans' rejection of discrimination. He stated, 'We are getting a lot of reports about this type of racism. It's fans sending us a clear message they are not willing to tolerate discrimination,' reflecting a growing awareness and accountability among supporters.
Son Heung-min has experienced multiple instances of racial abuse since joining the Premier League in 2015, with the most recent case involving a Nottingham Forest supporter receiving a lifetime ban from all grounds. This underlines the persistent challenges faced by players from East and South East Asian backgrounds in the sport.
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