Tottenham Hotspur disgusted by online racism after Tel miss: ‘Anonymous cowards’
The UEFA Super Cup final between Paris Saint-Germain and Tottenham Hotspur, played in Udine, was supposed to be remembered for its tense footballing drama.
The match itself was a showcase of high-level European football, ending 2-2 after 120 minutes in which both teams traded goals and momentum. Tottenham, competing for their first European Super Cup title in decades, looked poised to snatch victory when the penalty shootout began. The English side took the early lead in the shootout, applying pressure on PSG’s takers and sending their travelling fans into full voice.
However, football’s cruel unpredictability struck. PSG goalkeeper Lucas Chevalier produced a game-changing save from Micky van de Ven’s effort, swinging the momentum back in the French side’s favour. Then came the decisive moment: 19-year-old Mathys Tel, who had stepped up bravely under immense pressure, saw his penalty sail wide. PSG capitalised immediately, converting their next spot-kick to seal the trophy.
In sporting terms, it was a painful defeat for Tottenham, but what followed off the pitch transformed disappointment into outrage. Within hours of the final whistle, Tel’s social media accounts were flooded with racist abuse from anonymous users. Instead of discussing the match, the tactics, or even the bravery required to take a penalty in such a high-stakes setting, some individuals chose to attack the player on the basis of his ethnicity a familiar and deeply troubling pattern in modern football.
On Thursday morning, Tottenham Hotspur released a powerful and unequivocal statement on X (formerly Twitter), condemning the abuse in the strongest terms. “We are sickened by the racist messages Mathys Tel has received on social media following Wednesday night’s UEFA Super Cup defeat,” the statement read. The club’s tone made it clear that they viewed this as more than just a disciplinary matter it was a moral one.
They also publicly defended Tel’s decision to take a penalty, underlining the courage required in such moments. “Mathys showed courage by stepping up to take a penalty,” the statement continued. “But those who abuse him are nothing more than cowards hiding behind anonymous usernames and profiles to spew their repulsive views.” By calling the perpetrators “anonymous cowards,” Tottenham shone a light on the wider problem: the culture of impunity that allows abusers to launch discriminatory attacks from behind the shield of fake profiles and untraceable handles.
The club’s message didn’t stop at condemnation; it promised concrete action. “We will work with the authorities and social media platforms to take strong action against any individual we can identify. We stand with you, Mathys.” This pledge reflects a growing shift in football, where clubs are increasingly willing to cooperate with law enforcement to hold abusers accountable not just banning them from stadiums, but also pushing for criminal prosecution when possible.
This incident is part of a wider and ongoing challenge in the sport. In recent years, several high-profile players including Marcus Rashford, Bukayo Saka, and Jadon Sancho after the Euro 2020 final have faced similar online racist abuse following penalty misses. Despite public campaigns like “Kick It Out” and UEFA’s “No To Racism” and “#EqualGame” initiatives, and despite tech companies pledging to improve moderation, the abuse persists, often spiking after high-pressure matches where a player’s mistake becomes the focal point for targeted hate.
For Tottenham, the situation is doubly frustrating. Not only did the club lose a European final in heartbreaking fashion, but one of their young players, who had the courage to take responsibility in a moment of extreme pressure, was subjected to personal attacks that go far beyond sport. The abuse undermines the values of competition, respect, and inclusion that the club and the game at large seeks to promote.
For Mathys Tel himself, the days after such a match are already difficult from a sporting perspective. Missing a decisive penalty in a final is the kind of moment that can weigh heavily on any player, especially a teenager still carving out his place in top-level football. The added layer of racial abuse turns what should have been a period of reflection and recovery into something far more damaging. That’s why Tottenham’s immediate, public show of support matters it signals to Tel, the dressing room, and supporters that the club will not allow such behaviour to go unanswered.
While this particular case involves Tottenham and Tel, it is symptomatic of a wider, structural problem in football: the gap between the sport’s anti-racism rhetoric and the reality of enforcement in the digital era. The coming weeks will show whether the club’s promise to “work with the authorities” leads to tangible consequences for the perpetrators. In the meantime, Tottenham’s stance sends a strong message that they will not tolerate attacks on their players and that talent, courage, and character deserve celebration, not abuse.
