Hull City have strongly condemned what they described as “abhorrent” racist abuse directed at new signing Robinio Vaz on social media, with the Premier League club working with police and football authorities to identify those responsible.
The 19-year-old French forward was targeted shortly after Hull announced his arrival from AS Roma on a season-long loan on transfer deadline day. The club said the abuse was serious enough to prompt action across its social-media channels and confirmed that it had contacted the Premier League, anti-discrimination organisation Kick It Out and relevant social-media companies.
Hull said it was also working with Humberside Police and other relevant authorities to identify the accounts behind the abuse so that appropriate action could be taken.
In a statement, the club said: “Hull City condemns the abhorrent racist abuse directed towards our new signing Robinio Vaz on social media.”
The club added that no individual should experience discriminatory abuse and pledged its full support to Vaz.
“Hull City has a zero-tolerance policy towards all forms of discrimination,” the statement continued.
The Premier League has also condemned the abuse and offered its support to both Vaz and Hull City.
The league said it was “disgusted by the ongoing discrimination players face on social media” and confirmed that it would work with clubs, authorities, law enforcement agencies and social-media companies to address the problem and support investigations.
It further warned that individuals identified and found guilty of discriminatory abuse could face the strongest available sanctions, including football bans and legal prosecution.
The incident occurred almost immediately after Vaz’s arrival at the MKM Stadium.
Hull signed the teenager from Roma on a season-long loan with an option to make the transfer permanent, giving the young forward an opportunity to continue his development in English football. Reuters confirmed that the move was completed on transfer deadline day.
Vaz joined Roma after previously developing in France, including a spell with Marseille. His move to Hull represents another important stage in the career of a player who is still only 19.
Rather than allowing the abuse to dominate the beginning of his Hull career, the club has made clear that its focus is on protecting the player and pursuing those responsible.
Hull also appealed to its supporters to help combat discrimination by reporting abusive content whenever they encounter it.
“We stand with Robinio and encourage all supporters to continue to report any form of discrimination,” the club said.
The episode once again highlights the persistent problem of racist abuse directed at footballers through social-media platforms, where anonymous or pseudonymous accounts can target players with little regard for the consequences.
For Vaz, the abuse came before he had even made his competitive debut for Hull City, making the club’s response particularly significant.
Hull head coach Sergej Jakirovic has also publicly addressed the issue, while the club’s investigation continues.