The partner of soccer player Kai Havertz has revealed some disturbing messages she received on social media following Arsenal’s FA Cup defeat to Manchester United on Sunday.
Sophia Havertz shared two posts on her Instagram stories on Monday, with one of the messages containing a shocking threat to “slaughter” her unborn child.
Arsenal was eliminated from the tournament after a penalty shootout loss to the defending champions. During the match at the Emirates Stadium, Germany striker Havertz had a crucial opportunity to score but missed from close range and subsequently had his penalty attempt saved in the shootout.
Expressing her outrage over the abusive comments received after the game, Sophia stated, “For anyone to think it’s okay to write something like this is so shocking to me… I hope you are ashamed of yourself.”
In reaction to the concerning threat made toward her child, she added, “I’m not sure what to even say but please guys be more respectful. We are better than this…”
Soccer authorities and law enforcement have been actively working to address the issue of online abuse directed at players.
Last year, England’s Football Association announced an allocation of approximately £25,000 (around $32,000) to assist police efforts in combating incidents during the European Championship.
During the previous Euros in 2021, players like Bukayo Saka, Marcus Rashford, and Jadon Sancho faced racial abuse on social platforms after they missed penalties in the decisive match against Italy in the final.
FIFA, the world governing body for soccer, has launched a Social Media Protection Service that aims to shield players, teams, and officials from online hostility by ensuring their social media accounts remain free from hate and abusive content.
According to reports from the recent Women’s World Cup in 2023, 20% of participating players received discriminatory, abusive, or threatening messages, about half of which were categorized as homophobic, sexual, or sexist in nature.