Walker calls on Instagram to assist in combating racism.
Kyle Walker has called on Instagram and authorities to take stronger action against online racism after he was subjected to abusive messages following Manchester City’s 2-0 loss at Juventus in the Champions League. Walker, who played the full 90 minutes in the defeat, shared a screenshot of one of the racist messages he received in an Instagram story, along with a call for change.
“No one should ever face such vile, racist, and threatening abuse online, especially after a match,” Walker wrote. “Instagram and the authorities need to stop this from happening for the sake of all those suffering from this abuse. It is never acceptable.”
Walker also addressed City fans, saying, “We will continue to work as a team to do better, improve, and turn things around together.”
This isn’t the first time the England defender has spoken out about online abuse. In April 2021, he shared another screenshot of discriminatory messages and called for action, but continued to face similar abuse in the following months. Instagram responded at the time, saying it was working on measures to tackle online hate.
Manchester City condemned the racist abuse, saying, “We strongly condemn the racism Walker has faced. Discrimination of any kind, whether in stadiums or online, will not be tolerated. We will offer Kyle our full support following this appalling treatment.”
Walker, who captained City in Turin, has made 315 appearances for the club since joining from Tottenham in 2017, winning 15 major trophies, including six Premier League titles and the Champions League.
The Premier League also issued a statement, saying, “Racism has no place in our game or in society. We encourage anyone who witnesses discriminatory abuse to report it so that action can be taken. The Premier League will support Kyle Walker and Manchester City in addressing online hate.”
BBC Sport has reached out to Meta, the parent company of Instagram, for comment.
