Tottenham’s Mathys Tel: Racist Abuse After Super Cup Defeat “Will Not Bring Me Down”

Tottenham forward Mathys Tel has vowed that the racist abuse directed at him online following the club’s Uefa Super Cup defeat will not break his spirit, Sport360NG reports.

The 20-year-old French striker was subjected to offensive messages on social media after Spurs surrendered a two-goal advantage and were beaten 4-3 on penalties. Tel, who came off the bench late in the game, was among two Tottenham players to miss during the shootout.

The club issued a strong statement condemning the abuse, describing those responsible as “cowards” and insisting such behaviour has no place in football. Tel, who completed a permanent move from Bayern Munich this summer, responded publicly for the first time on Instagram.

“Of course I was disappointed by Wednesday’s result, but racism can never be tolerated,” he wrote. “Every day brings lessons, and I won’t be brought down by hate. I know where I’ve come from, and with humility and hard work, respect always prevails. I want to thank everyone who has sent me supportive messages.”

Tel’s experience follows a separate incident in which Bournemouth’s Antoine Semenyo was subjected to racist abuse during their Premier League opener against Liverpool at Anfield. That match was paused briefly when the forward reported the abuse to the referee.

Merseyside Police later arrested a 47-year-old man on suspicion of a racially aggravated public order offence. He has since been released on conditional bail.