Tottenham defender Kevin Danso says racist abuse will not define him
Tottenham Hotspur defender Kevin Danso has declared he will not let online racist abuse define him after being targeted on social media following a recent Premier League match against Brighton.
The North London club strongly condemned the vile and dehumanising racism directed at the Austria international following their 2-2 draw on 18 April.
Spurs have officially reported the discriminatory messages to the police for further investigation.
Breaking the silence
Speaking to ITV News, the 27-year-old revealed he had previously suffered racial discrimination while playing in Germany but chose to keep it to himself.
“The last time I did experience it, I was very young and I didn’t tell anybody about it,” Danso explained.
“I feel like this time it was important to say something, just address it and make sure that people are aware I’ve seen it.”
The former Lens and Augsburg centre-back insisted that the online vitriol would not impact his performances on the pitch.
“It’s not going to make me play any different and definitely there’s no need for it and basically you’re wasting your time.”
No Room For Racism campaign
This latest incident occurred during the Premier League’s dedicated campaign aimed at promoting diversity and eradicating discrimination from the sport.
League officials released a strong statement reiterating that discriminatory behaviour has absolutely no place in football or wider society.
They emphasised that authorities will continue working alongside clubs, law enforcement, and social media platforms to identify and ban perpetrators.
“I grew up in Austria, facing racism quite a bit, being in a predominantly white country, but I think I’ve learned how to deal with it,” the defender added.
“It just doesn’t define me and it doesn’t belong in the world of football.”
A wider footballing issue
The abuse directed at the Spurs star is part of a deeply concerning trend of online hate targeting professional footballers this season.
Earlier in May, Merseyside Police arrested an Everton supporter for allegedly racially abusing Bournemouth forward Antoine Semenyo.
The UK Football Policing Unit is also investigating widespread abuse aimed at several other players, including Wesley Fofana and Hannibal Mejbri, during a single weekend in February.