Tottenham Hotspur has strongly slammed the racist abuse directed at Italian footballer of Nigerian descent, Destiny Udogie, following their thrilling 2-1 victory over Liverpool on Saturday, September 30.
In a dramatic match, Spurs secured a win against a nine-man Liverpool team, with Joel Matip’s own goal sealing the victory.
Cody Gakpo had earlier equalized Son Heung-min’s opener in the first half, and the game was marred by controversy due to the disallowed goal of Luis Diaz for offside when the score was still 0-0.
After the win, Destiny Udogie shared his celebration on Instagram, posting a series of pictures from the game. Shockingly, the comments section was flooded with a disturbing wave of racist abuse.
In response to these disturbing events, Tottenham released a statement on Monday expressing their outrage: “We are disgusted at the racist messages directed towards Destiny Udogie on social media following Saturday’s game against Liverpool.
“We will work with the Premier League and, where possible, take action against any individual we are able to identify. We stand with you, Destiny.”
Destiny Udogie, a 20-year-old prodigious talent, has established himself as a regular starter for Tottenham, featuring in all seven of their Premier League matches this season.
He has contributed significantly with two assists and played a crucial role in securing two clean sheets for the team.
Udogie made the transition to Tottenham’s first team during the summer, following his signing from Udinese in August 2022 after spending the previous season on loan with the club.
In recent matches, Udogie has garnered praise for his standout performances against formidable opponents.
Notably, he effectively contained Bukayo Saka during the intense 2-2 north London derby, even after receiving an early yellow card.
His adept handling of Mohamed Salah in the match against Liverpool, despite the opposition being a man down for much of the game, further underscored his abilities and earned him acclaim.
It’s worth noting that the 20-year-old still has the option to represent the Super Eagles through his Nigerian parentage.