England defender Jess Carter has courageously spoken out against the racial abuse she’s endured during the Women’s European Championship, sparking a robust response from her teammates and the football community. The 27-year-old’s brave decision to address the “online poison” has led to significant action from both England’s squad and football authorities.
The Abuse Revealed
Carter, who has earned 49 caps for England and was part of the victorious Euro 2022 squad, revealed the extent of the racist attacks she’s faced since the tournament began. In an emotional Instagram post on Sunday, she wrote:
“From the start of the tournament, I have experienced a lot of racial abuse. Whilst I feel every fan is entitled to their opinion on performance and result, I don’t agree or think it’s ok to target someone’s appearance or race.”
The abuse intensified following criticism of her performance in England’s opening loss to France, where she was subsequently moved from left-back to center-back for tactical reasons.
England’s Powerful Response
In an unprecedented move, the Lionesses announced they will stop taking the knee before matches, stating that “football needs to find another way to tackle racism.” The squad issued a collective statement:
“Representing our country is the greatest honour. It is not right that while we are doing that, some of us are treated differently simply because of the colour of our skin. Until now, we have chosen to take the knee before matches. It is clear we and football need to find another way to tackle racism.”
Lucy Bronze explained the team’s reasoning: “Is the message as strong as it used to be? Is the message really hitting hard? Because to us it feels like it’s not if these things are still happening to our players in the biggest tournaments of their lives.”
Teammate Solidarity
Arsenal defender Lotte Wubben-Moy joined Carter in stepping away from social media, stating: “Another tournament goes by where we see the same disgusting racist abuse. It is unacceptable for any person to be subject to this or any kind of abuse. The issue goes beyond sport. But what is being done about it?”
Official Action and Support
The Football Association immediately contacted UK police upon learning of the abuse. CEO Mark Bullingham confirmed: “As soon as we were made aware of the racist abuse Jess received, we immediately contacted UK police. They are in touch with the relevant social media platform, and we are working with police to ensure those responsible for this hate crime are brought to justice.”
Prime Minister Keir Starmer also voiced his support: “There is no place for racism in football or anywhere in society. I stand with Jess, the Lionesses, and any players who have suffered racism, on and off the pitch.”
Club and Organization Support
Carter’s club, Gotham FC, released a heartfelt statement: “We are heartbroken and outraged by the racist abuse directed at Jess Carter. Jess is not only a world-class football player – she is a role model, a leader and a valued part of our family.”
UEFA also condemned the abuse, emphasizing that “abuse and discrimination should never be tolerated, whether in football or society, in person or online.”
Carter’s Message of Hope
Despite the ordeal, Carter remains focused on her team’s success and hopes her courage will create positive change: “Hopefully, speaking out will make the people writing this abuse think twice so that others won’t have to deal with it. We have made some historic changes with this Lionesses squad that I am so proud to be a part of and my hope is that by speaking out about this it will make another positive change for all.”
The defender, who was excellent in England’s 4-0 victory over Netherlands, emphasized her commitment: “My focus is on helping the team anyway I can” as England prepares for their semi-final against Italy on Tuesday.
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