MANCHESTER, England — On Wednesday, Manchester City announced that their forward, Khadija ‘Bunny’ Shaw, has faced “racist and misogynistic” harassment on social media following the recent match against Arsenal.
The club stated they are committed to standing by Shaw, expressing their outrage over the “disgusting treatment” she has received.

Shaw is recognized as one of the top athletes in women’s soccer globally. While City did not delve into the specifics of the offensive messages, they confirmed that the incidents have been reported to the relevant authorities.
In a statement, the club asserted, “Discrimination of any kind, either in stadiums or online, will not be tolerated and has absolutely no place inside or outside the game.”
The statement also highlighted Shaw’s choice to keep the messages private to avoid giving attention to the abhorrent individuals responsible for this abuse.

Additionally, findings from FIFA revealed that during the 2023 Women’s World Cup, one in five players experienced “targeted discriminatory, abusive or threatening messaging.”
Notably, nearly half of the reported abusive messages were identified as homophobic, sexual, or sexist, as disclosed by data from FIFA’s Social Media Protection Service.

The prevalence of such harassment serves as a stark reminder of the challenges many athletes face, particularly women, in the world of sports and online platforms.