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Solskjaer responds to "unacceptable" online abuse of Rashford

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer believes that online racial abuse needs to be tackled but not just within th...
Stephen Doyle
Stephen Doyle

16.35 1 Feb 2021


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Solskjaer responds to "un...

Solskjaer responds to "unacceptable" online abuse of Rashford

Stephen Doyle
Stephen Doyle

16.35 1 Feb 2021


Share this article


Ole Gunnar Solskjaer believes that online racial abuse needs to be tackled but not just within the footballing community.

The Manchester United manager was discussing the issue once again after striker Marcus Rashford was targeted by online abusers.

Rashford revealed the abuse in a short thread on Twitter on Saturday night, in the wake of United's scoreless Premier League draw away to Arsenal.

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"Humanity and social media at its worst. Yes I’m a black man and I live every day proud that I am. No one, or no one comment, is going to make me feel any different," he wrote.

"So sorry if you were looking for a strong reaction, you’re just simply not going to get it here. I’m not sharing screenshots.

"It would be irresponsible to do so and as you can imagine there’s nothing original in them. I have beautiful children of all colours following me and they don’t need to read it. Beautiful colours that should only be celebrated."

Solskjaer, who addressed the same issue last Friday after Alex Tuanzebe and Anthony Martial were racially abused online, was speaking ahead of United's home game against Southampton on Tuesday night.

The Norwegian feels that the matter needs to be addressed but in conjunction with the social media platforms.

"I don't think this is just a matter of footballers or famous people," Solskjaer said.

"That gets highlighted, which is in a sense good that we talk about it, but it's unacceptable behaviour. It happens all across society.

"We will work with the authorities and it has to be stopped. This way of discrimination, on social media, we can't do a lot can we?

"We have to work with the platforms. They've got to be stronger to make sure we stop this."

Last September, a man from Tralee was tracked down and charged for harassing former Arsenal and England striker Ian Wright.

Solskjaer feels that taking away the ability to remain anonymous would help to stamp out the online abuse.

"We'd all like freedom of speech but this crosses a line of what's acceptable. It's absolutely unacceptable behaviour in 2021," he added.

"The ignorance they show, you feel sorry for them, we've just got to help them. Sometimes you help people by taking away the chance of expressing themselves, especially when they're anonymous."


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Alex Tuanzebe Anthony Martial Manchester United Marcus Rashford Old Trafford Ole Gunnar Solskjaer Premier League

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