Tottenham Hotspur have condemned the alleged racist abuse suffered by defender Kevin Danso, and said that they are reporting it to the police and “appropriate authorities”.
The Austria international started yesterday’s 2-2 draw with Brighton & Hove Albion in the absence of injured Cristian Romero, and the centre back made a costly mistake that allowed Georginio Rutter to equalise in stoppage time.
The north London club said via a statement released on Sunday that Danso, 27, “has been and continues to be, subject to significant and abhorrent racist abuse on social media”.
The statement continued: “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. Kevin has our complete and unconditional support as a player and as a person. No one at this club will ever stand alone in the face of this.”
Danso, who joined Tottenham from Lens in February 2025, has made 31 appearances in all competitions this season. He responded to the abuse via a statement of his own, which read: “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.
“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.”
“Nothing about form or league position can ever excuse or explain racist abuse,” Tottenham’s statement said. “There is no connection between performance on the pitch and the right to target a player with discrimination. Criticism of performances is part of the game. Racism is not.”
The club called on X, Instagram and other social media platforms to “act quickly and decisively when racist abuse is reported”, as well as saying that they are “working with organisations dedicated to monitoring online abuse, investigating incidents and identifying perpetrators.”
The Premier League also issued a statement on Sunday that pledged its support for Danso and Tottenham and condemned the “vile” racist abuse. They acknowledged that “more needs to be done to address this issue”.
With five games to play, Tottenham are 18th in the Premier League and a point from safety. They face Wolverhampton Wanderers next at Molineux on April 25.