Bukayo Saka responds to racist abuse after England’s Euro 2020 final loss - what the Arsenal star said

England midfielder Bukayo Saka has urged social media platforms to step up their efforts to stamp out racial abuse after being targeted in the wake of his Euro 2020 final penalty miss.

The 19-year-old Arsenal star saw his spot-kick saved by Gianluigi Donnarumma as Italy triumphed on 11 July and was then sent sickening messages along with two team-mates.

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At a glance: 5 key points

- Young England stars Marcus Rashford, Jadon Sancho and Bukayo Saka faced a deluge of racist abuse on Instagram on social media after missing penalties in the Euros final against Italy

- Speaking at PMQs, Boris Johnson announced that a football banning order system will be changed so that people found guilty of racist abuse online will be included

- Since then, the players have received an outpouring of public support, while the abuse has been condemned and five arrests have been made so far in connection with the abuse

- Social media companies are now handing police the details of accounts involved in racism towards England football players

- Fans have covered a Marcus Rashford mural in messages of support in Manchester after it was vandalised following the game

What’s been said?

In a post on his official Twitter account on 15 July, the teenager wrote: “To the social media platforms Instagram, Twitter and Facebook, I don’t want any child or adult to have to receive the hateful and hurtful messages that me, Marcus and Jadon have received this week.

“I knew instantly the kind of hate that I was about to receive, and that is a sad reality that your powerful platforms are not doing enough to stop these messages.

“There is no place for racism or hate of any kind in football or in any area of society and to the majority of people coming together to call out the people sending these messages, by taking action and reporting these comments to the police and by driving out the hate by being kind to one another, we will win.

“Love always wins.”

Background

Saka’s miss ultimately proved decisive after Rashford had hit a post with his attempt and Donnarumma had saved Sancho’s effort as the Italians won the shoot-out 3-2, with the sides level at 1-1 following extra time.

He added: “There are no words to tell you how disappointed I was with the result and my penalty. I really believed we would win this for you.

“I’m sorry that we couldn’t bring it home for you this year, but I promise you that we will give everything we’ve got to make sure this generation knows how it feels to win.

“My reaction post match said it all, I was hurting so much and I felt like I’d let you all and my England family down.

“But I can promise you this… I will not let that moment or the negativity that I’ve received this week break me.”