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PFA backs Sterling over abuse
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The harsh treatment Manchester City’s Raheem Sterling receives from the media is fuelling racism on the terraces, the Professional Footballers’ Association said yesterday.
Sterling said on Sunday that newspapers were “unacceptable” in their portrayal of young black players.
The 24-year-old’s comments came a day after he faced alleged racist abuse from a supporter during City’s 0-2 English Premier League defeat at Chelsea.
The PFA, the trade union for footballers in England, strongly condemned reports of racist abuse which it says has increased from last season.
“We commend Raheem for his professionalism during the incident and the statement he made via Instagram on Sunday,” the PFA said in a statement.
“We stand with him in calling for the press to consider the coverage of all footballers carefully, and to end their imbalanced coverage aimed at young, black players.
“We have been aware for a few months of the targeting Raheem faces in the press, it is evident that he is often singled out and treated more harshly than his colleagues. As such, these stories are fuelling racism within the game, as reports of racist abuse continue to rise.”
No arrests were made after Saturday’s league game but the Metropolitan Police and Chelsea said they would review footage to determine whether any racist abuse took place.
Anti-discrimination charity Kick It Out last month released figures that showed reports of discriminatory abuse within football were up 11 percent from last season. “While it may be true that no racial slurs have been used in the press coverage received by Raheem and others, we are in no doubt that the negative narrative influences public opinion and emboldens racist rhetoric,” the PFA added.
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