Mathys Tel has spoken out for the first time since he was subjected to vile racist abuse after Tottenham Hotspur’s Super Cup final defeat to Paris Saint-German.
The Frenchman, 20, missed a decisive spot-kick as Spurs lost to the Champions League winners 4-3 in a penalty shootout last Wednesday.
Thomas Frank seemed destined for his first trophy after Micky van de Ven, who also missed a penalty, and Cristian Romero put his side 2-0 up, but PSG fought back with two late goals before defeating Spurs in the shoutout.
And, as has become all too common in the the world of football, Tel was subjected to waves of online racist abuse in the hours after he fired his penalty wide.
His club called out the ‘cowards’ hiding behind anonymous profiles venting their frustrations at Tel in a statement released to social media.
Now, a little under a week after the final, the young winger, who featured in his side’s 3-0 victory over Burnley at the weekend off the bench, has broken his silence with an Instagram post.
Mathys Tel has broken his silence after being subjected to vile racist abuse last week
The 20-year-old Frenchman missed a crucial spot-kick in Tottenham Hotspur’s Super Cup final loss to PSG
Tel wrote: ‘Everyone, after the last few days have passed, I wanted to thank you for all your messages of support!
‘I was also disappointed about Wednesday night but racism has no place in our society.
‘Every day is a learning curve, and every day is a lesson. I know where I come from, where I started and none of this will bring me down,.
‘With work and humility, respect reigns. Thank you all #COYS’
Tel is far from the first Black player to receive racist abuse on social media after a mishap on the pitch.
Bukayo Saka, Jadon Sancho and Marcus Rashford were notably subjected to such abuse following their penalty misses in the final of Euro 2020. While only last month Lionesses star Jess Carter revealed she was stepping away from social media after being targeted online.
Her decision led to Sarina Wiegman’s side announcing they would no longer take the knee before matches, admitting the gesture has now lost its meaning and purpose.
Carter admitted that she breathed a ‘sigh of relief’ after a white team-mate missed a penalty during England’s triumphant Euro 2025 campaign.
‘Racism has no place in our society,’ Tel wrote in a statement posted on Instagram
Racially abused Lionesses defender Jess Carter admitted she breathed a ‘sigh of relief’ after a white team-mate missed a penalty during England’s triumphant Euro 2025 campaign
Carter admits she feared the worst after Lauren James missed a penalty in the quarter-final
The England defender told ITV: ‘It’s horrible to say but it’s almost like a sigh of relief when other players that weren’t black missed a penalty, because the racism that would have come with LJ (Lauren James) being the only one that missed would have been astronomical.
‘It’s not because we want them to fail – it’s about knowing how it’s going to be for us (England’s black players) if we miss.’
In the wake of Tel’s miss last week, anti-discrimination charity Kick It Out warned that Black players may end up avoiding penalty-taking duties as a result of racist trolls.
‘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 organisation said in a statement.
‘Players are routinely targeted with racism online and want action; we want action, too.
‘Accountability from offenders and social media companies is a baseline, but it’s not being met.
‘Football bodies, authorities, and the regulator Ofcom, must come together to accelerate a plan that better protects players.
‘Their welfare should always be paramount, and we stand with Mathys Tel and all those who have suffered this continuing, racist abuse.’
