Tottenham star breaks silence after being subject of 'abhorrent' racial abuse

Lewis Henderson
Sun, 19 Apr 2026 14:29:42 +0000

Tottenham star Kevin Danso has broken his silence after being the subject of "abhorrent" racist abuse.

The Spurs defender received a series of racial comments following Tottenham's 2-2 draw against Brighton.

Danso was at fault late in stoppage time after giving away possession to the Seagulls' Jan Paul van Hecke, who squared the ball to Georginio Rutter to finish and deny Spurs all three points.

The Austrian defender fell to his knees in despair as Spurs missed out on the opportunity to climb out of the relegation zone.

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Following the match, Danso was sadly subject to several racist comments on social media, which Spurs have called "vile, abhorrent and dehumanising".

Tottengham reported the abuse to the Metropolitan Police and insisted they would push for the "strongest possible action".

Breaking his silence on social media, Danso wrote: "Not the result we needed yesterday. We gave everything, we learn and we move.

"I've also seen the comments. The racist abuse has no place in this game or anywhere. But it doesn't define me, and it won't distract me from what is important. I know who I am, what I stand for, and why I play.

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"Now it's about staying focused, working harder, and coming back stronger for the next games. We keep pushing, we keep believing, and we give our all every single time we step on that pitch. Stronger. Together. On to the next."

Spurs responded to the racist abuse in a lengthy statement reading: "Since yesterday's fixture against Brighton, which took place during the Premier League's No Room For Racism weekend, Kevin Danso has been, and continues to be, subject to significant and abhorrent racist abuse on social media.

"We have heard and seen vile, dehumanising racism. Behaviour that is without doubt a criminal offence. It will not be tolerated.

"The club is taking immediate action. We are reporting all identified content to the Metropolitan Police and to the appropriate authorities in the country where perpetrators reside, as well as to relevant social media platforms. We will push for the strongest possible action against each and every person we identify."

The Premier League also commented on the incident, saying: "We stand alongside Kevin Danso and Tottenham Hotspur in condemning the vile racist abuse he has received on social media.

"Discriminatory abuse has absolutely no place in football or wider society. Anybody who chooses to abuse others is not welcome in our game, and they are not a true fan."

Spurs drew 2-2 yesterday against Brighton and now sit a point from safety.

Pedro Porro opened up the scoring for Roberto De Zerbi's side with a brilliant header, beating Bart Verbruggen to the ball.

Not long after the Spaniard's goal, Kaoru Mitoma scored with a sensational strike on the volley past Antonin Kinsky in the Spurs net.

Xavi Simons thought he had the winner in the second half with a brilliant finish into the top right corner, celebrating by taking off his shirt and racing into the Tottenham crowd.

But in stoppage time, Rutter's goal was enough to split the points between the two teams, in what felt like a loss for the home supporters.

Spurs, with just five games remaining, find themselves in a three-horse race between Nottingham Forest and West Ham United to escape the drop.