London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Monday, Jun 30, 2025

Saka 'knew of hate' he would receive

Saka 'knew of hate' he would receive

England's Bukayo Saka said he "knew instantly the kind of hate" he was going to receive after his penalty was saved during Sunday's Euro 2020 final.

Bukayo Saka saw his penalty in the shootout saved by Italy goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma

Saka, 19, and Jadon Sancho had spot-kicks saved and Marcus Rashford hit a post as Italy beat England in a penalty shootout to win the tournament.

All three players received racist abuse on social media after the game.

"I will not let that moment or the negativity that I've received this week break me," Saka posted on social media.

The 19-year-old Arsenal player directed his comments about the way he was treated online at Instagram, Twitter and Facebook.

'Love always wins'


Saka was one of England's most impressive players in their run to the final, and manager Gareth Southgate said earlier this week he had "brought a smile to so many people's faces" and "become a hugely popular member of the group".

In his post, Saka said: "I knew instantly the kind of hate that I was about to receive and that is a sad reality that your powerful platforms are not doing enough to stop these messages.

"I don't want any child or adult to have to receive the hateful and hurtful messages that me Marcus and Jadon have received this week.

"There is no place for racism or hate of any kind in football or in any area of society.

"And, to the majority of people coming together to call out the people sending these messages, by taking action and reporting these comments to the police and by driving out the hate by being kind to one another, we will win.

"Love always wins."

Five people have been arrested after Saka and his team-mates were racially abused online.

Twitter said earlier in the week it had removed more than 1,000 posts over the previous 24 hours and suspended a number of accounts for violating its rules.

Facebook, which also owns Instagram, said it had "quickly removed comments" directed at players on its platforms.

Southgate described the racist abuse as "unforgivable", and captain Harry Kane told those who sent it: "You're not an England fan and we don't want you."

Prime Minister Boris Johnson has promised to ban people guilty of sending racist abuse to footballers from attending matches.

Saka said he was thankful to those people who have "campaigned on my behalf and sent me heartfelt letters, wished me and my family well".

"This message won't do it justice how grateful I am for all the love that I have received, and I feel that I need to thank everyone who has supported me," he said.

Like Rashford and Sancho before him, he apologised for his penalty miss. He said he and his team-mates would work hard "to make sure this generation knows how it feels to win".

"There are no words to tell you how disappointed I was with the result and my penalty," he said.

"I really believed we would win this for you. I'm sorry that we couldn't bring it home for you this year."


Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Robots Compete in Football Tournament in China Amid Injuries
Trump Administration Considers Withdrawal of Funding for Hospitals Providing Gender Treatment to Minors
Texas Enacts Law Allowing Gold and Silver Transactions
China Unveils Miniature Insect-Like Surveillance Drone
OpenAI Secures Multimillion-Dollar AI Contracts with Pentagon, India, and Grab
Marc Marquez Claims Victory at Dutch Grand Prix Amidst Family Misfortune
Germany Votes to Suspend Family Reunification for Asylum Seekers
Elon Musk Critiques Senate Budget Proposal Over Job Losses and Strategic Risks
Los Angeles Riots ended with Federal Investigations into Funding
Budapest Pride Parade Draws 200,000 Participants Amid Government Ban
Southern Europe Experiences Extreme Heat
Xiaomi's YU7 SUV Launch Garners Record Pre-Orders Amid Market Challenges
Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sanchez's Lavish Wedding in Venice
Russia Launches Largest Air Assault on Ukraine Since Invasion
Education Secretary Announces Overhaul of Complaints System Amid Rising Parental Grievances
Massive Anti-Government Protests Erupt in Belgrade
Trump Ends Trade Talks with Canada Over Digital Services Tax
UK Government Softens Welfare Reform Plans Amid Labour Party Rebellion
Labour Faces Rebellion Over Disability Benefit Reforms Ahead of Key Vote
Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sánchez Host Lavish Wedding in Venice Amid Protests
Trump Asserts Readiness for Further Strikes on Iran Amid Nuclear Tensions
North Korea to Open New Beach Resort to Boost Tourism Economy
UK Labour Party Faces Internal Tensions Over Welfare Reforms
Andrew Cuomo Hints at Potential November Comeback Amid Democratic Primary Results
Curtis Sliwa Champions His Vision for New York City Amid Rising Crime Concerns
Federal Reserve Proposes Changes to Capital Rule Affecting Major Banks
EU TO HUNGARY: LET THEM PRIDE OR PREP FOR SHADE. ORBÁN TO EU: STAY IN YOUR LANE AND FIX YOUR OWN MESS.
Trump Escalates Criticism of Media Over Iran Strike Coverage
Trump Announces Upcoming US-Iran Meeting Amid Controversial Airstrikes
Trump Moves to Reshape Middle East Following Israel-Iran Conflict
Big Four Accounting Firms Fined in Exam Cheating Scandal
NATO Members Agree to 5% Defense Spending Target by 2035
Australia's Star Casino Secures $195 Million Rescue Package Amid Challenges
UK to Enhance Nuclear Capabilities with Acquisition of F-35A Fighter Jets
Russian Shadow Payments via Cryptocurrency Reach $9 Billion
Explosions Rock Doha as Iranian Missiles Target Qatar
“You Have 12 Hours to Flee”: Israeli Threat Campaign Targets Surviving Iranian Officials
Macron and Merz: Europe must arm itself in an unstable world
Germany and Italy Under Pressure to Repatriate $245bn of Gold from US Vaults
Airlines Evaluate Flight Cancellations Amid Escalating US-Iran Tensions
Starmer Invites Innovators to Join Government Talent Scheme
UK Economy’s Strong Opening Quarter Shows Signs of Cooling
Harrods Seeks Court Order to Secure Al Fayed Estate for Victims
BA and Singapore Airlines Cancel Dubai Flights Amid Middle East Tensions
Trump Faces Backlash from MAGA Base Over Iran Strikes
Meta Bets $14 B on Alexandr Wang to Drive AI Ambitions
WATCH: Israeli forces show the aftermath of a massive airstrike at Iran's Isfahan nuclear site
FedEx Founder Fred Smith, ‘Heart and Soul’ of the Company, Dies at 80
Chinese Factories Shift Away from U.S. Amid Trump‑Era Tariffs
Pimco Seizes Opportunity in Japan’s Dislocated Bond Market
×