Newsweek
Bukayo Saka is one of the youngest footballers to ever play in the European Championships. On Sunday, he carried the weight of England on his shoulders as the world watched him try to tie the championship match and extend it.
His shot was blocked on England’s final attempt, and Italy won the 2020 Euro, 1-1, after shootout kicks with a 3-2 advantage.
Saka now faces backlash because of his skin color, as do other teammates who are either black or brown and missed shootout kicks.
The game was 1-1 through 90 minutes of regulation and 30 minutes of extra play. Despite two hours of stalemate, it went to a shootout from the penalty kicks area.
Each team would get five, alternating shots at the goal, and England took a 2-1 lead after two shots per team. England’s two goals were made by Harry Kane and Harry Maguire, a pair of white males. Their next three shots were taken by darker-skinned teammates—Marcus Rashford, Jadon Sancho and Saka. Sancho and Saka’s shots were blocked by Italy goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma, and Rashford’s clinked off the left upright of the goal and didn’t go in
Italy netted two goals in their final three shots to take their first Euro title since 196
After the game ended, English players gave comfort to Saka, who was born in the London area from Nigerian parents who moved to England as economic migrants. Fans on social media, and particularly in England, sounded off.
The British racist idiots have started, they will attack the Black players in this England team even their racist press will tear them apart come 2morrow morning. @UEFA and @FIFAcom need to place a ban on them.#Euro2020Final #EURO2020 pic.twitter.com/2C71Wf95v
— Chika Ezeabiama 🇳🇬🇬🇧 (@ps6811) July 11, 2021
Then again, there are fans of all races who defended the players as well:
Yeah, no room for racism. If Cavani cost of the game he would get battered the same way. When black players get battered all they do is just come online and complain about racism and not accepting the fact they cost us the game. He was fucking awful
— 𝑆𝑇☻︎𝑁𝐸𝑅-𝐵𝐿𝐸𝐸𝐷’𝐸𝑀 (@Puccy_mechanic) May 26, 2021
The FA has released a statement condemning the racist abuse England players have received on social after losing the final of Euro 2020
The FA is “appalled” by the online racism aimed at England player
— BBC Sport (@BBCSport) July 11, 2021
Bukayo Saka, Marcus Rashford and Jadon Sancho have all been subjected to racial abuse following England’s loss in the #EURO2020 fina
If you see racial abuse, report it. We are all in this together. pic.twitter.com/L1KBf7lX
— UtdDistrict (@UtdDistrict) July 11, 2021
This news originally appeared in Newsweek.
