London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Thursday, Nov 27, 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
UK to Slash Key Pension Tax Perk, Targeting High Earners Under New Budget
UK Government Announces £150 Annual Cut to Household Energy Bills Through Levy Reforms
UK Court Hears Challenge to Ban on Palestine Action as Critics Decry Heavy-Handed Measures
Investors Rush Into UK Gilts and Sterling After Budget Eases Fiscal Concerns
UK to Raise Online Betting Taxes by £1.1 Billion Under New Budget — Firms Warn of Fallout
Lamine Yamal? The ‘Heir to Messi’ Lost to Barcelona — and the Kingdom Is in a Frenzy
Warner Music Group Drops Suit Against Suno, Launches Licensed AI-Music Deal
HP to Cut up to 6,000 Jobs Globally as It Ramps Up AI Integration
MediaWorld Sold iPad Air for €15 — Then Asked Customers to Return Them or Pay More
UK Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer Promises ‘Full-Time’ Education for All Children as School Attendance Slips
UK Extends Sugar Tax to Sweetened Milkshakes and Lattes in 2028 Health Push
UK Government Backs £49 Billion Plan for Heathrow Third Runway and Expansion
UK Gambling Firms Report £1bn Surge in Annual Profits as Pressure Mounts for Higher Betting Taxes
UK Shares Advance Ahead of Budget as Financials and Consumer Staples Lead Gains
Domino’s UK CEO Andrew Rennie Steps Down Amid Strategic Reset
UK Economy Stalls as Reeves Faces First Budget Test
UK Economy’s Weak Start Adds Pressure on Prime Minister Starmer
UK Government Acknowledges Billionaire Exodus Amid Tax Rise Concerns
UK Budget 2025: Markets Brace as Chancellor Faces Fiscal Tightrope
UK Unveils Strategic Plan to Secure Critical Mineral Supply Chains
UK Taskforce Calls for Radical Reset of Nuclear Regulation to Cut Costs and Accelerate Build
UK Government Launches Consultation on Major Overhaul of Settlement Rules
Google Struggles to Meet AI Demand as Infrastructure, Energy and Supply-Chain Gaps Deepen
Car Parts Leader Warns Europe Faces Heavy Job Losses in ‘Darwinian’ Auto Shake-Out
Arsenal Move Six Points Clear After Eze’s Historic Hat-Trick in Derby Rout
Wealthy New Yorkers Weigh Second Homes as the ‘Mamdani Effect’ Ripples Through Luxury Markets
Families Accuse OpenAI of Enabling ‘AI-Driven Delusions’ After Multiple Suicides
UK Unveils Critical-Minerals Strategy to Break China Supply-Chain Grip
Taylor Swift’s “The Fate of Ophelia” Extends U.K. No. 1 Run to Five Weeks
UK VPN Sign-Ups Surge by Over 1,400 % as Age-Verification Law Takes Effect
Former MEP Nathan Gill Jailed for Over Ten Years After Taking Pro-Russia Bribes
Majority of UK Entrepreneurs Regard Government as ‘Anti-Business’, Survey Shows
UK’s Starmer and US President Trump Align as Geneva Talks Probe Ukraine Peace Plan
UK Prime Minister Signals Former Prince Andrew Should Testify to US Epstein Inquiry
Royal Navy Deploys HMS Severn to Shadow Russian Corvette and Tanker Off UK Coast
China’s Wedding Boom: Nightclubs, Mountains and a Demographic Reset
Fugees Founding Member Pras Michel Sentenced to 14 Years in High-Profile US Foreign Influence Case
WhatsApp’s Unexpected Rise Reshapes American Messaging Habits
United States: Judge Dressed Up as Elvis During Hearings – and Was Forced to Resign
Johnson Blasts ‘Incoherent’ Covid Inquiry Findings Amid Report’s Harsh Critique of His Government
Lord Rothermere Secures £500 Million Deal to Acquire Telegraph Titles
Maduro Tightens Security Measures as U.S. Strike Threat Intensifies
U.S. Envoys Deliver Ultimatum to Ukraine: Sign Peace Deal by Thursday or Risk Losing American Support
Zelenskyy Signals Progress Toward Ending the War: ‘One of the Hardest Moments in History’ (end of his business model?)
U.S. Issues Alert Declaring Venezuelan Airspace a Hazard Due to Escalating Security Conditions
The U.S. State Department Announces That Mass Migration Constitutes an Existential Threat to Western Civilization and Undermines the Stability of Key American Allies
Students Challenge AI-Driven Teaching at University of Staffordshire
Pikeville Medical Center Partners with UK’s Golisano Children’s Network to Expand Pediatric Care
Germany, France and UK Confirm Full Support for Ukraine in US-Backed Security Plan
UK Low-Traffic Neighbourhoods Face Rising Backlash as Pandemic Schemes Unravel
×