Coach Mikel Arteta highlighted the “terrible consequences” that online harassment can have on players and those around them on Tuesday, in reaction to the attacks targeting striker Kai Havertz and his partner.
The German international missed several clear chances, then missed his shot on goal, during the match lost against Manchester United on Sunday in the FA Cup.
His pregnant wife Sophia Havertz shared screenshots on social media showing hateful messages, including one wishing she would “miscarry.”
The club reported the messages to the police and are working with a specialist data company to try to identify the culprits.
“We really have to do something about this, because accepting this, hiding it, has terrible consequences,” Mikel Arteta reacted, with a closed face, at a press conference. “It’s something we really need to eradicate in this sport,” he added.
The coach pointed out “cynical” behavior, as well as the hypocrisy of certain supporters, capable of celebrating the attacker one day, then insulting him the next. “On December 27 at home, we won 1-0, Kai Havertz scored a goal and the whole stadium sang ‘Waka Waka’ (editor’s note: a song by Shakira) in his honor,” he recalled.
“What is the outlook? We are all responsible, you (journalists) are responsible, everyone is responsible for the storytelling, everyone is responsible for the way we speak, and we cannot look the other way,” Arteta continued.
In any case, “this is a very serious matter. It affects him, it affects me, it affects everyone who works in this environment,” and “we cannot accept that,” he insisted.
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